Abstract
1. 1. Adult roseate spoonbills, Ajaia ajaja, when fed a diet rich in carotenoids, store in their feathers the two keto-carotenoids canthaxanthin and astaxanthin, both firmly anchored to keratin. 2. 2. This general condition thus resembles findings in three flamingo species and in the scarlet ibis, all of which deposit canthaxanthin in their feathers, accompanied by astaxanthin (in the American and James's flamingos) or other acidogenic carotenoids (in the Chilean flamingo and scarlet ibis). 3. 3. Ajaia's storage of astaxanthin in exposed leg skin resembles a similar condition in the American and Chilean flamingos, but the presence of astaxanthin in its blood-plasma, moreover as the predominant carotenoid therein, seems to be unique amond birds.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
