are they squiggly lines or straight lines?

pics would help.

They're veins, so they're squiggly.

It's ok to just say squiggly, I think houston was just trying to clarify haha. It sounds like you might be a little frustrated :)

Honestly though a picture would help so much. People always jump on the forum trying to figure out what problem they have and rarely do people ever describe symptoms in the same way. A picture would allow us to actually see what you are talking about.

I might be able to help in this case though as I have seen something possibly similar to what you describe in our own orchard. Could it be citrus peelminer damage? Take a look at the photo and link.

Here is a link that might be useful: Citrus Peelminer Information

aslan's pic was what i was referring to as "squiggly" and would be caused by citrus miners.

side note, i always thought CLM's and CPM's were the same, are they a different species?

I'm really not too sure, I wouldn't be surprised if they are the same but i'd have to do a little research.

They're different.

See this
http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/C107/m107fpminers.html

Here is a link that might be useful: citrus leafminer vs peelminer

I wouldn't exactly say I was frustrated. Just puzzled. I thought the description was unambiguous. The veins are dark gray/blue. The veins are on the inside of the peel, so I don't think they are the same as the photos above. I've been lucky as I haven't encountered many more, but if I do, I shall capture a picture with ye olde camera phone.

Thanks.

Ah well that was just my crazy brains fault right there. When I read your post my brain registered 'outside' instead of inside like it says haha.

I finally got a picture of these gray veins. The ones shown on the peel are removable with the peel. However, they are also attached on the exterier surface of the flesh of the grapefruit. Sorry for the blurry quality, but I had only my cellphone camera at the time.

Can anyone identify what this is?

Do you have a local agricultural extension agent or some similar official who helps people with local agriculture problems?

Hi, poncirusguy: Citrus always tastes good, and the grapefruit wasn't weirdly shaped. I don't know whether the tree was growing well as I am just an end consumer buying the grapefruit at a big chain store (Loblaws in Canada).

Hi, sugar_land_dave: I'm not a farmer....I'm an urbanite to the core. So I'm not even sure whether the grapefruit is local, and I am unfamiliar with the agricultural regulatory/oversight mechanisms here.

I was just hoping that someone recognizes what the dark gray veins could be.

It has been almost a year since I posted, and now I'm seeing the black veins in the grapefruits again. Hoping that new knowledge may have entered the group since then, and that someone can chime in about what these are?

I'm seeing this in my grapefruit too! Is there a God? Where are the answers?!

I suspect this is just due to refrigeration and storage. Bloomtogroom, did you also buy your fruit from the store, or is this your own home-grown fruit?

Patty S.

Hi, Patty. Yes, they're store bought and only this one out of the bunch was affected by the offbeat ways of nature or as you say, refrigeration. Either way, I care enough or care too much and both beat not caring at all. Pretty sure your response might help FanOcitrus out next year. Thank you.

I found this in my grapefruit just this morning and I'd love an explanation that doesn't involve something disturbing in my breakfast food.

Looks like you have an extremely intelligent deep in though over worldly problems grapefruit. I would send that grapefruit to Yale, Harvard, North Western, or equivalent.

Rebecca's looks almost reddish and not grey... it could simply be anthocyanin pigmentation (same compound that turns blood oranges red/violet). Though it does look oddly like a brain!

-Tom

Can pesticide or other chemicals affect the fruit like that? It is scary to think about it.

first time im ever witnessing this and i grow up with grapefruit and grapefruit trees 🥺 what is it??

I have found the blue/grey veins on the underside of my mandarin skins and some on the white attached to the flesh also. My fruit is home grown, not sprayed with anything, and not refrigerated. I feared it was some type of mould, so threw out any effected fruit. I would like to know if the fruit is safe to eat.

Same here! This is my first time ever seeing this and I eat a LOT of grapefruit! This is freaky and off-putting. Anyone have some insight? This was purchased today at Sprouts market (reputable small chain acclaimed for their produce). The sticker reads "Rio Citrus, Ft. Pierce, FL". Thank you! (I ended up tossing this one. The rest of the bunch I bought were unaffected/typical.)

I too have experienced this amazing phenomenon.

The flesh was delicious and firm, no where near rotting.

Yet the veins on the inner surface of the rind were dark gray!

Purchased from CTown in Astoria, Queens NYC.

There is a 1989 article in "Plant Physiology" that begins:

"Juice tissues of citrus lack phloem; therefore, photosynthates enroute to juice sacs exit the vascular system on the surface of each segment."

https://academic.oup.com/plphys/article/90/4/1394/6082270

I too am having the same problem

Same here. Gray veins. I don't know if the grapefruit is safe to eat. It looks terrible.

ITS FINE

Agreed with Steve; nothing to worry about.