Melanophore development during metamorphosis in pseudo-albinic clone of Japanese flounder Paralichthys olivaceus

• Published in: Nippon Suisan Gakkaishi Vol. 71; no. 5
• Main Authors: Nakamura, A.(Fukui Prefectural Univ., Matsuoka (Japan)), Shikano, T, Mizuta, A, Seikai, T
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Japanese
• Published: 01.09.2005
• Subjects: ALBINISM; ALBINISME; ALBINISMO; CLONE; CLONES; MELANINAS; MELANINE; MELANINS; METAMORFOSIS; METAMORPHOSE; METAMORPHOSIS; PARALICHTHYS OLIVACEUS; PLASTE; PLASTIDIOS; PLASTIDS
• ISSN: 0021-5392
• DOI: 10.2331/suisan.71.729

A pseudo-albinic clone and control group of normal diploid in Japanese flounder Paralichthys olivaceus were examined from the larval stage to juvenile stage through metamorphosis on the differentiation process of melanophores in relation with pseudo-albinism. On the ocular side of the control group, the larger melanophores maintained their density from the larval stage through metamorphosis, but the smaller ones rapidly increased from the climax of metamorphosis (H-stage). On the blind side, the larger melanophores maintained their density but the smaller ones did not appear through metamorphosis. In the pseudo-albinic clone, both nearly complete and partial pseudo-albinism appeared at high percentages. In completely pseudo-albinic juveniles, the distribution of melanophores on the ocular side was similar to that on the blind side in the normal group, whereas the ocular side of partial pseudo-albinic juveniles had 3 types of distribution. Therefore, it was suggested that the appearance of small melanophores played a fundamental role in normal pigmentation on the ocular side, and the failure of this process inhibited normal pigmentation.