Black gut phenomenon in cardinal fishes (Apogonidae, Teleostei)

L. Fishelson; M. Goren; O. Gon

doi:10.3354/meps161295

Black gut phenomenon in cardinal fishes (Apogonidae, Teleostei)

L. Fishelson^*, M. Goren, O. Gon

^*Corresponding author for this work

School of Zoology

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

18 Scopus citations

Abstract

A study of 78 species of cardinal fishes (Apogonidae) revealed that 22 of them had black guts, 5 species had partly black guts and, in 51 species, the digestive tube was unpigmented or had dispersed melanophores in the external tunic. The black pigmentation is caused by melanization of the submucosal connective tissue which is situated between the muscularis and the basal lamina of the internal epithelium. This phenomenon was previously observed in moray eels and some pelagic fish. In nocturnal predators, it appears to serve to conceal bioluminescent prey in the stomach cavity.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	295-298
Number of pages	4
Journal	Marine Ecology - Progress Series
Volume	161
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.3354/meps161295
State	Published - 31 Dec 1997

Keywords

Apogonids
Melanization of guts

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abstract = "A study of 78 species of cardinal fishes (Apogonidae) revealed that 22 of them had black guts, 5 species had partly black guts and, in 51 species, the digestive tube was unpigmented or had dispersed melanophores in the external tunic. The black pigmentation is caused by melanization of the submucosal connective tissue which is situated between the muscularis and the basal lamina of the internal epithelium. This phenomenon was previously observed in moray eels and some pelagic fish. In nocturnal predators, it appears to serve to conceal bioluminescent prey in the stomach cavity.",

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Black gut phenomenon in cardinal fishes (Apogonidae, Teleostei)

Abstract

Keywords

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