Hi, Jeff!
If it were simple recessive, we could take two salmontine siblings that don't show the pattern and breed them together. Technically, these would be 100% hets for the Argentine pattern if how the gene operates. Theoretically, we'd get about 1/4 of the babies with the pattern if it's simple recessive. It’d be pretty telling for the offspring to show traits not expressed by either parent in the ratio in which we find simple recessive traits inherited. I know the Salmontines have been bred to pure Argentines. What were the results?
Technically, you'd be breeding a het for the Argentine pattern (the Salmontine) to a homozygous for the Argentine pattern (the Argentine). If it's recessive, statistically, we'd see half of the babies showing the pattern clearly and half of them clearly not. If it were me, I'd probably discount the hypos in the litter and only use the non-hypos as the hypo trait can influence pattern as well as color. An example of this would be the hypo/arabesque breeding in which the hypo trait destroyed the Arabesque pattern. Didn’t that happen with the hypo x Motley breeding, too?
This reminds me of the theory that I’ve heard that Hog Island boas are actually double homozygous for a new dominant type of hypomelanism.
Cool thoughts, Jeff!
Glad to see you posting so much.
Thanks for the pics, Mike!
Aaron

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