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First published online November 17, 2005
Journal of Experimental Biology 208, 4391-4397 (2005)
Published by The Company of Biologists 2005
doi: 10.1242/jeb.01925

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Chromatic interaction between egg pigmentation and skin chromatophores in the nuptial coloration of female two-spotted gobies

Per Andreas Svensson^1,*, Elisabet Forsgren¹, Trond Amundsen¹ and Helen Nilsson Sköld²

¹ Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, N-7491 Trondheim, Norway
² Kristineberg Marine Research Station, Royal Swedish Academy of Science, 450 34 Fiskebäckskil, Sweden

View larger version (67K): [in a new window]   Fig. 1. The role of skin chromatophore pigmentation on belly coloration in whole G. flavescens. (A) An example of a photograph used to quantify the belly coloration of G. flavescens females, where the oval shape describes the area selected for the colour quantification. (B) Effects of death and noradrenaline exposure on belly coloration of female G. flavescens, measured as CIE L*a*b*. The coloration was quantified from digital images taken when the fish were alive (hatched bars), 60 min after being killed (solid bars) and after 60 min exposure to noradrenaline (open bars). Means ± S.E.M., N=10.

View larger version (49K): [in a new window]   Fig. 2. The role of skin chromatophores on abdominal skin coloration and transparency. (A) An example of photographs of abdominal skin biopsies from G. flavescens before (left) and after (right) 60 min exposure to noradrenaline. These photographs were taken on a light table with all light coming through the biopsies. In the upper half, the boxes in the photographs describe the area selected for colour quantification. In the lower half, magnified sections of abdominal tissue show the presence of chromatophores, with either dispersed (left) or aggregated (right) pigment. (B) Effects of chromatophore pigment aggregation caused by noradrenaline exposure on the transparency and coloration of abdominal skin biopsies from G. flavescens females. The transparency and coloration (CIE a* and b*) were quantified before (filled circles) and after exposure to noradrenaline (open circles). Means ± S.E.M., N=10.

View larger version (22K): [in a new window]   Fig. 3. The relationship between gonad and belly coloration (CIE a*) in the presence and absence of noradrenaline in G. flavescens females. Live and untreated dead fish had reasonably dispersed chromatophore pigment, while noradrenaline caused pigment aggregation. The coloration was quantified from digital photographs.