The integumentary melanophore patterns of two teleost species Gasterosteus aculeatus and Pseudopleuronectes americanus

Abstract

Gasterosteus aculeatus and Pseudopleuronectes americanus possess distinctive melanophore-based patterns associated with marked differences in body form and their respective pelagic and benthic habitats. Both patterns are due, in part, to a combination of two morphologically distinct types of melanophores, and local variations in melanophore size and density and number of melanophore layers. On black-to-white background transfer both patterns have slow and rapid-paling components associated respectively with large and small melanophores of different densities.