I know that typically baby comets will start out black, then at some point their colors come on fast. I have also never seen a black standard comet in the fish store - only the fancy ones with the googly eyes and fat bellies. However I have one in my pond this year that is not showing any signs of color. This was one of four survivors from the last batch to hatch out last year, and the other three have had their oranges and whites for a couple months now.
They are getting close to 3" in length, so I'm starting to hope this guy might actually stay black. This one has some distinctive silver to its underside. At first I thought I was seeing a splash of orange on its belly, but then I realized it was just the reflection from the other fish it was swimming by. The silver in its scales is VERY highly reflective, looking more like a platinum koi rather than a white comet, and you only see it when he turns. Looking down on him, he looks completely greyish-black, and sometimes in the sunlight it looks like he has an ultraviolet sheen.
So what's the chances? Is it possible to get a dormant black gene out of orange and white parents?
They are getting close to 3" in length, so I'm starting to hope this guy might actually stay black. This one has some distinctive silver to its underside. At first I thought I was seeing a splash of orange on its belly, but then I realized it was just the reflection from the other fish it was swimming by. The silver in its scales is VERY highly reflective, looking more like a platinum koi rather than a white comet, and you only see it when he turns. Looking down on him, he looks completely greyish-black, and sometimes in the sunlight it looks like he has an ultraviolet sheen.
So what's the chances? Is it possible to get a dormant black gene out of orange and white parents?