Zebrafish use sunscreen also for camouflage
Thursday, January 30, 2014 - 13:00
in Biology & Nature
For diurnal animals like zebrafish embryos, which grow up in shallow pools and are practically see-through, exposure to the sun constitutes a major problem since ultraviolet (UV) radiation damages DNA. Neurobiologists set about investigating which mechanisms zebrafish embryos use to protect themselves against the aggressive UV radiation. Interestingly, scientists have found that the UV-protection mechanism also doubles as camouflage.