Female-specific iridescent stripes in
the skin of the common market squid
(Doryteuthis opalescens) Credit:
Daniel DeMartini
click on image to enlarge
The female common market squid –– AKA Doryteuthis opalescens
–– may not be so common after all. Researchers at UC Santa Barbara have
discovered that this glamorous cephalopod possesses a pair of stripes that can
sparkle with rainbow iridescence. These flank a single stripe, which can go
from complete transparency to bright white.
This marks the first time that switchable white cells based
on reflectins –– the proteins responsible for reflecting light as color –– have
been observed. The findings are published in the Journal of Experimental
Biology.