You might wonder why deep-sea creatures need ultra-black pigment. Natural melanin can also absorb X-rays, radiation and heavy metals, which could make it useful for many safety applications. Popular Science reports that scientists are already experimenting with synthetic melanin particles. Thus, mimicking the simple architecture of melanosomes in ultra-black fish could allow for the production of flexible, affordable and durable ultra-black substances. However, carbon nanotubes are expensive to produce and fragile. ![]() Human-made carbon nanotubes are more black than ultra-black fish skins, with commercially available Vantablack absorbing 99.965% of incoming light and an even blacker carbon nanotube absorbing 99.995% of incoming light, MIT News reports. The ability to absorb stray light can also improve solar panels, camouflage and night ops. Ultra-black surfaces are ideal for optical equipment, such as cameras and telescopes. This simple strategy has caught engineers’ attention. Thus, evolution has produced a super-efficient, super-thin light trap. If that melanosome doesn’t absorb the light, the shape of the melanosome causes the light to be reflected sideways, so it’s likely to hit another melanosome. Since the melanosomes are so tightly packed, incoming light will almost always hit a melanosome. In ultra-black fish, the melanosomes are larger, oval-shaped, and closely packed together.Ĭomputer modeling shows that this arrangement is ideal for absorbing light. When light hits a melanosome, it can be absorbed or reflected. In other animals, including ultra-black land animals, melanosomes are sphere-shaped and separated from one another by supportive keratin protein. ![]() Like mammals, fish produce a pigment called melanin, which is packed inside membranes to form melanosomes. When the skin of these fish was observed under a microscope, the explanation for the ultra-black coloration appeared to be surprisingly simple. This is good evidence that ultra-black pigment evolved multiple times. Notably, these 16 ultra-black species represent seven distantly related groups of fish, which all have close relatives that are colorful or silvery. For one species, ultra-black was found only around the gut, which would be useful for hiding bioluminescence from recently eaten prey. This suggests that the ultra-black is used to conceal the hunter from its potential prey. Several of the ultra-black fish, including the Pacific dragonfish, use bioluminescent lures. In contrast, most of the ultra-black fish had black skin covering most of the body, suggesting that the main purpose is camouflage. In these species, the ultra-black pigment is used to highlight bright colors, producing visual signals that warn potential predators or attract potential mates. Many transparent sea creatures reflect less than 0.4% of light.Īccording to the authors, land animals that produce ultra-black pigment include butterflies (0.06% to 0.5% reflectivity), birds of paradise (0.05% to 0.31% reflectivity) and jumping spiders. In contrast, regular black fish have 2% to 3% reflectivity, black paper has 10% reflectivity and white or silvery fish have greater than 50% reflectivity. The darkest species - a dreamer anglerfish - reflected just 0.051% of light. The team identified 16 species of fish with ultra-black skin that reflected less than 0.5% of light shined on them. ![]() The marine samples were collected at night, when deep-sea fish swim higher. ![]() For comparison, commercial scuba divers with special equipment can reach depths of 600 meters (about 1,968.5 feet) before pressure from the water above becomes lethal for humans. Scientists set out on research cruises in Monterey Bay, California, and the Gulf of Mexico to collect samples from 0 to 2,000 meters (about 6,562 feet) below the surface, using a trawl net or remotely operated vehicle. As a study in Current Biology reports, researchers have discovered another common tool for survival in the deep sea: ultra-black pigment. A variety of sea creatures release luminescent particles to distract or mark would-be predators, as National Geographic describes.Īll of this bioluminescence in a very dark environment has led to extraordinary adaptations, such as eyes that can detect just a few photons of light. Other animals shelter bacteria that produce light for them, like anglerfish with their bacteria-filled lures. Some of these animals - such as jellyfish - produce their own light. For deep-sea creatures that live where there’s little to no sunlight, the rules of the game are simple: Eat, don’t get eaten and try to reproduce.
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