Mystery Pencilfish

[Oscar van Dale]

Snagged this pretty cool looking "Beckfords" pencilfish who was all alone at an lfs. Seems to have an odd color mutation or is a diff species. Anybody have an ID or do you guys think its a mutation? Interested on everyones thoughts. 

Thanks!

[Biotope Biologist]

Im going to guess weird color mutation. There is a species called the dipped tail pencilfish with a large black blotch over its tail, but that one is on the wrong side of the lateral line.

[jwcarlson]

Could also be nerve damage.  Discus sometimes experience the same thing.  

[macdaddy36]

Mine used to look something like this right when I turned the light on, but their normal color would fill in shortly after.

[DallasCowboys16]

On 12/11/2023 at 12:38 PM, macdaddy36 said:

Mine used to look something like this right when I turned the light on, but their normal color would fill in shortly after.

I was about to say that you would be absolutely shocked at how different pencilfish can look before and after lights on.
 

My eques looked like a completely different species first thing in the morning before their color returned. I cannot speak specifically to beckfords, but I would imagine a similar phenomenon exists in them.

Edited December 12, 2023 by DallasCowboys16