THE OCCURRENCE OF MELANOPHORES IN CERTAIN EXPERIMENTAL WOUNDS OF THE GOLDFISH (CARASSIUS AURATUS)

Abstract

The onset of cutaneous pigmentation by melanophores in three different types of wound of the operculum carried on simultaneously in three different tanks of running water at 76° F. was uniformly between the third and fourth day after trauma. The final disappearance of pigment of degenerated melanophores of the wound area varied between 6 and 19 days after injury. In some fishes the accumulation of melanophores noted at the wound was relatively slight; in others the black pigmentation caused by large numbers of melanophores was intense and remained over a longer period.Fishes operated on during the cold winter months and kept in tanks of cold running water (43° F.) did not show at wounded areas such a rapid development of melanophores as described in the preceding experiment. Further, pigmentation of wounds under winter temperature extended over longer periods. Thus, in nine fishes with right operculum crushed for 15 seconds with an artery clamp placed at the middle of the operculum, followed by excision o...