Abstract
LITTLE is known about colour variation in mesopelagic fishes. In her observations on Valencienellus tripunctulatus (Esmark), Grey1,2 noted two pigment forms. On some specimens, “the back and tail (were) whitish or translucent, with a lengthwise series of 14–18 black chromatophores standing out in bold relief”. On others, “the back and tail (were) brownish, the lateral series of chromatophores being diffuse and obscure”. Such differences in the extent of pigmentation have now been shown to be related to the light conditions prevailing at the time of capture.
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References
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BADCOCK, J. Colour Variation in Two Mesopelagic Fishes and its Correlation with Ambient Light Conditions. Nature 221, 383–385 (1969). https://doi.org/10.1038/221383b0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/221383b0
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