Full Gold (also called 24K Gold) is a highly metallic, shimmering guppy that looks like a moving bar of gold in the aquarium.
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Key Traits:
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Metallic Sheen: The “gold” look is created by a layer of yellow pigment cells (xanthophores) sitting on top of light-reflecting cells (iridophores).
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Solid Coverage: Unlike standard gold guppies, the “Full Gold” is bred for solid metallic coverage across the head and body.
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Full Gold vs. Full Platinum: While they look similar, Full Gold shows a thin layer of metallic gold against a wild grey background, whereas Full Platinum typically has a thicker white metallic base with a yellow overlay.
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Genetics & Sex-Linkage:
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Stoerzbach Gene (Autosomal): The Full Gold phenotype often relies on the Stoerzbach (s/s) gene, which is an autosomal recessive mutation that enhances the metallic, “metal-head” look.
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X and Y-Linked Platinum: The metallic “Platinum” gene, which is closely related to Full Gold, can be X-linked, Y-linked, or both. It is known to “cross over” easily between the X and Y chromosomes during breeding.
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Y-Linked Inheritance: In many Japanese strains (like the El Dorado), the primary platinum/gold trait is Y-linked, meaning it is passed from the father to all his male offspring.
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