Coat Colour Tabby (Mackerel, Blotched, Marble) – 3 variants

Three recessive mutations in the LVRN gene have been identified in tabby cats, with each mutation altering the cat’s coat pattern and potentially producing a “blotched” pattern. The included tests in this package enable differentiation between the mackerel tabby coat pattern (wild-type) and the blotched/classic tabby/marble coat pattern.

The mackerel tabby, which is one of the most common tabby cat markings, bears a resemblance to zebra stripes with vertical stripes that traverse the entire coat. These stripes are typically narrow and evenly spaced, resembling the shape of a mackerel fish upon closer examination, hence the name.

Conversely, the classic tabby, also known as blotched or marbled tabby, exhibits large patches on the coat, usually round or oval in shape, and can appear in varied, swirling patterns across the coat. The marbled look is especially striking, with broad bands of colour that often form a bullseye or whorled appearance on the cat’s sides.

The mackerel tabby typically shows slender, curving stripes across the body, which may break into shorter segments resembling spots on the belly and legs or continue unbroken along the coat. In contrast, the classic or blotched/marbled tabby is characterized by thick, curving bands of color that swirl into a bullseye or marbled pattern on the sides, producing a more dramatic and irregular appearance compared to the neat stripes of the mackerel type.

Coat colour is an intricate trait that involves a combination of multiple different genes. Testing for a range of different loci will give the most complete prediction of a cat's coat colour genetics.

Pubmed ID: 22997338

Year published: 2012

Omia ID: 1429

Omia variant ID: