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Lda33 eyes changing color

So I've been noticing that my snowball plecos eyes change color. When I first looked and noticed they were very light grey almost white I thought he was sick. In no more than five minutes I looked again and they were pitch black. Over the last few days I've noticed they change back and fourth pretty frequently. Has anyone ever heard of this or have an explanation? The pics don't really show the extreme light or dark but you get the point. They definitely change color.

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Localzoo

Board of Directors
Might be a normal thing they do live in murky water and dig caves. Might prevent reflection so that predators might not get them or based on changes in light.


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This isn't the membrane, I can watch them change color before my eyes. Its somewhat gradual like how a cichlid changes when he's mating.

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Localzoo

Board of Directors
I'm not an expert but brief reading suggest they have pigmented particles that change along with mood
Darker and or clear usually means better than pale or milky. The area around the eye contains similar pigment.
Found this on the web thought might be an interesting read

Plecos have eye structures called "iris operculums" that can control the amount of light entering the eye and also disguises the eye-spot that might give their camouflaged bodies away. When the operculum is closed the pupil of a pleco resembles the Greek letter omega, so the completely modified iris is called an "omega iris."



Taken from


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I'm pretty sure it may have something to do with the ambient light in the tank. When he is out with the lights on they are lighter than when he is under a rock or something in a shadow. It may also be mood when he's out feeding they are lighter than when he is just chilling under a rock. Maybe one or the other or both. Interesting article his eyes are identical to the omega when they are black.

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Localzoo

Board of Directors
I'm pretty sure it may have something to do with the ambient light in the tank. When he is out with the lights on they are lighter than when he is under a rock or something in a shadow. It may also be mood when he's out feeding they are lighter than when he is just chilling under a rock. Maybe one or the other or both. Interesting article his eyes are identical to the omega when they are black.

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The omega is when they are closed so that might explain it

You take pretty good pics try setting it up under the macro setting so we can see...lol please!


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Closest pic I could get without scaring him off. You can see the difference. Lighting wasn't much different from the last pic. Kinda strange.

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