The Color Changing Goldfish

This little fish started out a bright yellow color, a hue that earned her the not-so-subtle name of Lemon. As Lemon got older, she got darker, until she was a rich vermillion color. This color was similar to the color of a local citrus fruit, so I renamed her after the fruit; Naartjie. (nar-chi)

However, Naartjie wasn't finished her chameleon impersonation. Over the course of a few weeks, she turned red, then red and white, then orange and white until finally she became completely white, and has stayed that way ever since. I now call her Casper.

I don't have photos of the entire process (Alas! Alas! What was I thinking?!) but I can show you a before and after pic:

Above: Orange and white. She looked quite cute like this - somehow reminiscent of a panda bear. 

The white areas started on the tips of her fins and grew progressively larger 

until her entire body was white.

Above: Casper, as of today, not a colored scale to be found.

I'm not sure what prompted the color change, perhaps genetics, illness or some kind of a reaction to her environment, but whatever caused it hasn't left her any worse for the wear. She's healthy and active, so I haven't been too concerned about this color-changing goldfish. 

Her color transformation started in the pond, where she received a diet high in algae and insects, as well as a daily dose of sunlight. The transformation sped up rapidly when I brought her to live in a large aquarium in my lounge, where she is fed flakes, pellets and shelled peas. Very little sunlight reaches the tank.

I'm quite proud of Casper. It's not often that one comes across a completely white goldfish, so she's a treat to see on a daily basis.