A bit about Arik fur colours and genetics
By default, Ariks have 6 "base" patterns + melanistic and albino variants. They're all seen above. Shades of the fur colours may vary slightly, but only in terms of being brighter, darker, high-contrast or dull. But all of the base patterns will still remain somewhat the same colour. For example, all Colourpoints will be a shade of gray and all Midnight Blues will have varying shades of dark blues.
The only exception is the Tiger Striped Akita pattern, which has also appeared as gray and almost blue before being mixed with other patterns via breeding. These natural gray and blue variants are incredibly rare, but they could explain why Midnight Blue exists.
Midnight blue is quite the interesting pattern. Some Ariks call it "The Mutt" despite it being a base pattern. (A mutt pattern would be anything that has a mixed pool of genes from two patterns, for example Deer and Colourpoint.) Midnight Blue is called a mutt pattern because it looks "ugly" and irregular. All base patterns have a strict rule about how many types of dots and coloured spots will go where. However, Midnight Blue randomises those. It is only considered a base pattern due to it's unusual shade of blue.
Mutt or base, an Arik fur pattern is always divided into different "sections" based on what colour goes where on the body. This is important when looking at how their fur genetics pass on to offspring.
Primary Colour β The base colour of the fur. This colour would cover the Arik entirely if you were to remove all patterns from it. The most dominant colour gene.
Secondary Colour β Most commonly a pattern, such as stripes, dots or splotches.
Tertiary Colour β Most commonly the colour of the stomach and/or cheeks.
Quartary Colour β Very rarely appears, most commonly the colour of the Arik's antennae, as seen on the Banana Split pattern. The most fragile colour gene, can easily "get lost" and won't inherit to the offspring or can be formed when the parents' colours mix.
Ariks usually get one single Arikit at a time. When two Ariks breed, their offspring will gain its fur colour and patterns depending on what the parents look like.
Most commonly the fur colour either switches patterns (As seen above, a Colourpoint pattern with Banana Split colours) or the parents' colours and patterns mix together, creating new mutt patterns. Colours may also mix together to create new shades.
Very rarely the Arikit turns out to be a perfect replica of one of their parents. However, this requires said parent to have a pure base pattern and to be the same sex as the Arikit.
