Classic (or 'blotched') tabbies have a similar 'M' pattern on the head, but the body markings are very different, having a whorled and swirled pattern with thicker stripes that make what are referred to as "butterfly" patterns on their shoulders and usually a bulls-eye or oyster pattern on the flank. The legs and tail are more heavily barred and the pattern is variable with respect to the width of the bands.
The ticked tabby pattern produces hairs with distinct bands of colour on them, breaking up the tabby patterning into a salt-and-pepper appearance. However, ghost striping or "barring" can often be seen on the legs, face and belly.
The spotted tabby may not be a true pattern, but a modifier that breaks up the mackerel pattern so that the stripes appear as spots; the stripes of the classic pattern may be broken into larger spots. Both large spot and small spot patterns can be seen in the Australian Mist, Egyptian Mau, and Ocicat breeds.
All of these patterns have been observed in random bred populations.
Many tabbies have a distinct 'M' marking on their forehead. There are several legends about where this came from. One relates that the Virgin Mary bestowed an M on a tabby's head after it helped keep the baby Jesus warm. In another legend, the prophet Mohammed bestowed the marking upon his beloved cat's brow after it warned him of danger, and the M remains today to remind us of Mohammed's blessings upon cats. In reality, neither of these figures would have used a Latin 'M': Mary spoke Aramaic and the first letter of her name is the Hebr
ew letter Mem (מ), and Mohammed's name begins with the Arabic letter Miim(م).Genetic explanations
In cat genetics, pattern is unrelated to colour, and so the tabby pattern may occur in any cat colour, including tortoiseshell (tortoiseshell tabby cats are often called 'torbies'). White spotting of any level can also appear in combination with tabby patterns.
The tabby patterns are due to 3 distinct gene loci and one modifier, but it all gets very technical again and not very entertaining for anyone but the very keen devotee