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Melanin In The Longnose Gar, Lepisosteus Osseus, George William Minson

Master's Theses

Examination was made of the melanophores of three Lepisosteus osseus (longnose gar), one dark, one intermediate, and one normal in pigmentation. Melanophore counts were made per mm² from anterior, mid, and posterior areas of both the dorsal and ventral surfaces of each of the three fish. The data were tested with a four-factor analysis of variance. By microscopic examination the melanophores were classified as to branching in the sample areas. Neither number of melanophores nor degree of branching explained divergence in pigmentation. However, divergence was attributed to the melanosome color and concentration in the melanophores.