Ultra-black skin allows some fish to lurk unseen
Thursday, July 16, 2020 - 11:40
in Biology & Nature
Scientists report that at least 16 species of deep-sea fish have evolved ultra-black skin that absorbs more than 99.5% of the light that hits them, making them nearly impossible to pick out from the shadows. These fish owe their disappearing act to tiny packets of pigment within their skin cells called melanosomes. The melanosomes of ultra-black fish are differently shaped and arranged on a microscopic level, compared with regular black fish, says a new study.