Coloration of Anuran Tadpoles (Amphibia): Development, Dynamics, Function, and Hypotheses
Figure 1
(a) The chromatophore unit, modified from [30], composed of layers of melanophores, iridophores, and xanthophores, that provides the basis for color, pattern, and metachrosis in amphibians. Transmitting electron photomicrographs of pigment-containing organelles in (b) melanophores (melanin granules in a melanosome; part of darkened area in upper left enlarged in inset), (c) iridophores (guanine reflecting platelets, part of lightened area in center enlarged in inset), and (d) xanthophores (carotenoids in pterinosomes, darkened area in upper center enlarged in inset).
