C. moorii changing colors

[gcaligan]

Do blue dolphins change color?
I've read a dominant male can become a deeper blue, but I don't know how significant the change can be. All of the pictures I've seen online seem to show variations of light or royal blue.
One of mine seems to have turned purple or dark navy blue, and sometimes will almost look like a T duboisi with three distinct color bands. I've never kept them before, so not sure what's normal. It appears perfectly healthy otherwise.
I only have two:

 

[daninmd]

it looks like he has been beaten up and darkened up to avoid attention. looks like he has a couple of scales missing and fins a little frayed. need to watch them one day and see who is picking on him.

 

[DiscusnAfricans]

Fish will change colors due to aggression or activity levels, regardless of whether they're being 'beaten up.' Its typical for malawi haps to have high color variations, especially when multiple males are housed in the same tank. Some males will have drastic changes in color if females are present and receptive to breeding, what some people refer to as 'breeding dress.'

Differences from vendors can vary from different collection points, or from variations in the type and amount of line breeding. Moorii have been around for a while, and breed fairly easily, so you will likely see high variations between different sellers. Some of it could be due to quality, some of it could be from selective breeding of specific traits (or conversely lack of selection).

So long story short, not surprising, its to be expected.

 

[gcaligan]

Thanks for the replies. I'm not surprised by the change in color so much as the frequency and pattern of changes, if that makes sense. If he gradually changed to a deeper blue or purple that wouldn't bother me, or if he truly seemed dominant or submissive and beaten, I could easily understand that. It's more that his coloration evolves, and the pattern seems to migrate across his body, all without any apparent change in behavior. Here's a pic from today- not a good one, but hopefully shows what I mean. Right now he has that lighter patch on the middle of his body, and it seems like that will migrate across his body.

 

[Rasta Fish]

That fish is sick
Isolate him if you can keep him in clean originated water make sure he is feeding
I would also use some parasite guard on him

 

[cindreauxm]

Yeah. Definitely looks sick.. I had two do this at separate times; isolated them, a few parasite doses, they were fine! but plz do it immediately -- time is the enemy

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