Different types of Coloration in fishes

1. Coloration in Fishes
Submitted By : FoxtRot Romeo
Submitted To : Dr. Sadhna
GOVERNMENT COLLEGE FOR WOMEN PARADE
Department of Zoology

2. Table of Contents
1. INTRODUCTION
2. SOURCES OF COLOUR
2.1 Chromatophore
2.2 Iridiophore
3. CHROMATOPHORE RESPONSE
3.1 Physiological response
3.2 Morphological response
4. FACTORS AFFECTING COLOURATION
5. SIGNIFICANCE OF COLOURATION
5.1 Communication, Concealment,
Disguise, and Advertisment

3. Introduction:
● Animal coloration is the general appearance of an animal
resulting from the reception or emission of light from its
surface.
● Coloration depends upon two important factors; the color and
distribution of organism's biochromes,quality and quantity of
light falling on the organism.
▪ There are several separate reasons why animals have
evolved colors: Environment changes, Camouflage,
disease, signaling, advertising, during life as well as mood
etc.

4. ●COLORATION in fishes is primarily due to skin
pigments in integuments,their rearrangement causes some
species to exhibit right color while other show uniform
shade
● Many species have general colouration and particularly
characterstics marking in the form of bars.,stripes,spots and
blotches.

5. Chromatophores
● Pigment cells are defined as cellular systems that effect
coloration of the skin
● The chromatophores are found in the dermis layer of the
skin
● They have pigments containing intracellular bodies called
chromatophores

6. Fig. Structure of chromatophore

7. Chromatophores (contd)
● Fishes have only four biochromes,varied color patterns are
obtained by mixing of these exsisting pigments in variable
proportions
● Melanophores,Erythophores and Xanthophores are
called the light absorbing chromatophores
● Iridiophores are called as the light reflecting
chromatophores

8. Classification of Chromatophores
Chromatophores Pigments Source Color
Melanophores Melanin Diet Black/Brown
Erythophores Carotenoids Diet Red/orange
Xanthophores Carotenoids Diet Yellow
Iridiophores Guanine Diet White

10. Chromatophore Response
Physiological Response : (Neural and Hormonal)
⮚Redistribution of pigment organelles within the boundary of
the cell.
Morphological Response :
⮚Involve increase or decrease in number of 4 cells or the
amount of pigment they contain.

11. Significance of color change in fishes
Patterns of colouration and ability of the fish to change it, helps
the fishes in various ways such as
❑CONCEALMENT
❑DISGUISE
❑ADVERTISMENT

12. Concealment
It provides protection to fish by concealment from the enemy
(camouflage).
Various kinds of concealing colour methods are :
● Obliterative coloration
● Variable colour resemblance
● Disruptive colouration

13. (Scomber scomber) (Canthigaster callistera )
Leptocephalus
( larvae of eel)
Larve change in
pencil like form
(Obliterative Coloration) (Variable Color
Resemblance)

14. (Angel Fish)

15. Disguise
● When an animal exhibits colour pattern, form or posture such
that it resembles either an animal or plant or sometimes a
lifeless object
● Deflective marks are important here, thought of deflecting the
animal to more or less vital parts of body to some other parts

16. Amia (Bowfin) Chaetobon unimaculatus
(Disguise)

17. Advertisement
▪ Some forms of colouration of fish appear to advertise or to
reveal rather to conceal their presence.
▪ Warning colouration, threatning colouration, cleaning and
indication of mating are its important types.

18. Serpent eel Ameca splendens

19. THANK
YOU