Agapornis fischeri Aqua Homozygous is another variant of the fischeri aqua mutation. It is named for the phenotype resulting from an aqua x aqua cross. It is not specified which aqua is being referred to. However, some sources say homozygous aqua must be obtained from an aqua blue1 x aqua blue1 cross.
Is this a trade name, or is homozygous aqua a genuine aqua where a newly discovered mutation must separate homozygous phenotypes? As most people post on social media, I have experimented with several aqua x aqua pairs that did not get the homozygous aqua phenotype chicks.
Some chicks actually reverted back to blue1blue2. My crossing scenario was wrong, or there are other influencing factors that I am still studying. It is also possible that the aqua I have from the pedigree is close to blue1blue2.
If this question has so far arisen in the bird agapornis fischeri (eye-ring species), is the mutation assumed: A. *AquaBlue1 B. *AquaBlue2 is a combination of mutations (multiallel) of bl-locus?! Then, it will raise a "rooted" question of whether there is a Visual "Aqua" Homozygote without the combination of mutations "Blue1 and Blue2"?
Of course, that question will be able to be equally "breakdown" from the breeding tests that we do. So far, breeders have paired the A and B "mutations" above with Bl-locus mutations (Blue1Blue2, Blue2 and Blue1).
From these pairs, it is challenging to track whether there is an "Aqua" mutation that we assume to be a Homozygote.
To make it easier in terms of language, let's see this breakdown together:
*Crossing AquaBlue1 with :
1. Blue1
2. Blue2
3. Blue1Blue2
4. *AquaBlue1
5. *AquaBlue2
The assumption of "probability" that chicks will appear is:
1. *AquaBlue1 x Blue1 =
50% *AquaBlue1 (Orange beak)
50% Blue1 (Ivory white beak)
2. *AquaBlue1 x Blue2 =
50% *AquaBlue2 (Ivory white beak)
50% Blue1Blue2 (Orange Beak, with a solid Orange forehead)
3. *AquaBlue1 x Blue1Blue2 =
25% *AquaBlue1 (Orange Beak)
25% *AquaBlue2 (Ivory white beak)
25% Blue1 (Ivory White Beak)
25% Blue1Blue2 (Orange Beak, with intense Orange forehead)
4. *AquaBlue1 x *AquaBlue1 =
25% *Aqua (Homozygote) Visuals still under the "assumption" of an Orange beak like *AquaBlue1 visuals
50% *AquaBlue1 (assumption = This visual is the same as the *Aqua homozygote visual)
25% Blue1 (Ivory White Beak)
5. *AquaBlue1 x *AquaBlue2 =
25% *Aqua (homozygote) The visual is still under the "assumption" of an Orange beak like the *AquaBlue1 visual
25% *AquaBlue2
25% *AquaBlue1
25% Blue1Blue2
At points 4 & 5, we can get homozygote genetic chicks. Still, there is a problem faced: the visual is challenging to recognize because of the "assumption" while *aqua homozygote is the same as *AquaBlue1 visual, whereas, at points 4 & 5, there is a chance of appearing *AquaBlue1 and *Aqua Homozygote.
That means the above method will be complicated to identify "homozygote and Heterozygote".
Is there another way to test breeding to quickly get *aqua "homozygote" without having to test breeding again (to distinguish homozygote and Heterozygote)?
There are two ways :
25% *aqua homozygote (with a note that the two parents above must have previously tested breeding with Blue1 to print *AquaBlue1)
b. *AquaBlue2 x *AquaBlue2 = 25% *Aqua (Homozygote) => Orange Beak 50% *AquaBlue2 (Ivory White Beak) 25% Blue2 (Ivory White Beak)
Apart from homozygous aqua naming, from a phenotypic view, it is indeed different from aqua blue1 and aqua blue2. For this reason, this article will discuss some essential characteristics of aqua homozygotes.
Characteristics of the Agapornis fischeri Aqua Homozygous Mutation
Beak color of fischeri aqua homozigous
If aqua blue1, the beak colour tends to be reddish orange, while aqua blue2 is ivory white. Homozygous aquas have an intermediate beak colour.
It resembles the beak colour of blue1/series blue against the background of skin colour. Beak colour is also influenced by where the bird comes from. There is a colour difference between the Aqua blue1 x Aqua blue1 cross and Aqua blue2 x Aqua blue2. If it is indeed a homozygous aqua, it must be obtained from the double-factor aqua allele.
Head and Masked colour of Fischeri aqua homozygous
The big difference lies in the mask area of the homozygous aqua compared to the other aqua variants. The base of the homozygous aqua mask is peach.
The mask's colour also spreads more to the breast area. There is almost no degradation, especially for mutations that reduce melanin. Also, in opaline, if combined with homozygous aqua, it will have a peach colour on the entire head.
Tail patern color of fischeri aqua homozigous
Similar to other PPR (Partial Psittacine Reduction) mutations such as blue1, blue2, and blue1blue2/parblue, homozygous aqua's tail pattern colour will follow the head's peach colour.
One thing to note is that the peach color is not absolute, it depends on the aqua blue1 double factor or the aqua blue2 double factor.