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  • Widespread occurrence and repeated evolution of ultra-black camouflage in the pelagic deep-sea anguilloid eels (Anguilliformes)
Title: Widespread occurrence and repeated evolution of ultra-black camouflage in the pelagic deep-sea anguilloid eels (Anguilliformes)
The deep-sea environment is associated with a wide range of anatomically specialized morphologies allowing camouflage in this low or no light environment. Specialized ultra-black coloration has been documented in the pelican eel, Eurypharynx pelecanoides, but has not been explored in the other largely deep-sea inhabiting pelagic anguilloid eels. Histological examination of the integument revealed a layer of free melanosomes in the superficial dermis consistent with specialized ultra-black camouflage in the swallower eels Saccopharynx, the bobtail snipe eel Cyema, the sawtooth eels Serrivomer, and the snipe eels Avocettina and Nemichthys. The anatomy in these taxa is consistent with the previously described ultra-black morphology, except that Nemichthys, Avocettina, and Serrivomer have both large amounts of free melanosomes and melanophores. Consideration of this morphology in the context of anguilloid eel evolution in the deep-sea environment suggests repeated independent evolution of ultra-black coloration within the anguilloids, and greater development in the taxa more specifically associated with the bathypelagic habitats and the production of bioluminescence.  more » « less
Award ID(s):
1829812
PAR ID:
10485152
Author(s) / Creator(s):
; ; ;
Publisher / Repository:
Springer
Date Published:
Journal Name:
Environmental Biology of Fishes
Volume:
106
Issue:
8
ISSN:
0378-1909
Page Range / eLocation ID:
1747-1754
Format(s):
Medium: X
Sponsoring Org:
National Science Foundation
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