Fish coloration
- Thread starter Isaiah Shipp
- Start date
Maybe a little, but the natural ability to darken to what's underneath is a defensive response to predators above them
Which means what is below will affect much more than what is besides?
Is this true for all fishes or certain fishes only?
True for all that have that particular defense mechanism. Majority of freshwater fishes main predators is birds besides other fish
Edit: the majority of fish that I kept on black substrate from Clown Loaches, Cories, a few different cichlids all turned super dark. My rainbows and some other small community fish didn't
I shall do an experiment on my flowerhorn... Lol
The last time I tried black bottom and background changed to blue bottom and blue background
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12242707
http://www.cs.mcgill.ca/~rwest/wikispeedia/wpcd/wp/c/Chromatophore.htm
Most fish, reptiles and amphibians undergo a limited physiological colour change in response to a change in environment. This type of camouflage, known as background adaptation, most commonly appears as a slight darkening or lightening of skin tone to approximately mimic the hue of the immediate environment. It has been demonstrated that the background adaptation process is vision dependent (it appears the animal needs to be able to see the environment to adapt to it), and that melanin translocation in melanophores is the major factor in colour change.
http://www.cs.mcgill.ca/~rwest/wikispeedia/wpcd/wp/c/Chromatophore.htm
Most fish, reptiles and amphibians undergo a limited physiological colour change in response to a change in environment. This type of camouflage, known as background adaptation, most commonly appears as a slight darkening or lightening of skin tone to approximately mimic the hue of the immediate environment. It has been demonstrated that the background adaptation process is vision dependent (it appears the animal needs to be able to see the environment to adapt to it), and that melanin translocation in melanophores is the major factor in colour change.
Background color can and will make a difference too, but chockfull is correct, the substrate will generally have a greater overall effect on color. Change the black sand to a lighter color in this tank, and the fish will begin to lighten up within hours.
Was reading what RD posted so it seems be it bottom or background it may depends where does the fish resides most of the time
Shall do a test with my flowerhorn
