title: Morphological Analysis of Blind-Side Hypermelanosis of the Starry Flounder, Platichthys stellatus during Early Development.
abstract: In Pleuronectiformes, blind-side malpigmentation (hypermelanosis) is common in cultured flatfishes, and is economically important. To understand the mechanism of blind-side hypermelanosis in flatfishes, we examined when the malpigmentation initially occurred, and studied how the symptoms proceeded during early development of the starry flounder, Platichthys stellatus. To assess quantitative pattern changes of blind-side skin, we observed morphological development of the whole body from 22 (total length [TL] 10.0±0.2 mm and body weight [BW] 8.8±0.57 mg) to 110 days (TL 23.4±0.7 mm, BW 193.6±23.3 mg) after hatching (DAH), and also examined the malpigmented area rate of blind-side skin and the malpigmented fish ratios. The experimental animals were reared in fiberglass-reinforced plastic (FRP) tanks in water at a temperature of 18.9±1.9°C and salinity of 32.6±0.6 psu and were fed with rotifer and Artemia nauplii from 22 to 48 DAH, and with A. nauplii and commercial feed from 49 to 110 DAH. As results, the first staining patch seen by the naked eye was observed around the area between the anus and pelvic fin or caudal edge of the trunk at 80 DAH (TL 20.6±0.5 mm, BW 112.5±8.8 mg). The pigmented area and the pigmented fish ratios were significantly increased from 80 to 110 DAH. These results indicated that malpigmentation on the blind side of starry flounder was initially observed at about 2 cm in length and 100 mg in weight, and the pigmented domain on the blind-side skin was continually broadened by the differentiation of pigmented cells (melanophores and xanthophores) with growth.
authors.affiliation: West Sea Fisheries Research Institute, NFRDI, Incheon 400-420, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Duk-Young
authors.initials: DY
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.affiliation: Southeast Sea Fisheries Research Institute, NFRDI, Namhae 668-821, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Soon-Gyu
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Byun
authors.affiliation: National Fisheries Reasearch Development and Institute, Busan 619-705, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Jeong-In
authors.initials: JI
authors.lastname: Myeong
authors.affiliation: West Sea Fisheries Research Institute, NFRDI, Incheon 400-420, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Hyo-Chan
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: National Fisheries Reasearch Development and Institute, Busan 619-705, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Byoung-Hwa
authors.initials: BH
authors.lastname: Min
keywords: Blind side; Early development; Hypermelanosis; Pigment; Starry flounder.