Body Color Research Articles

Long-wave opsin involved in body color plastic development in Nilaparvata lugens

BackgroundAs one of the components of visual photopigments in photoreceptor cells, opsin exhibits different spectral peaks and plays crucial roles in visual function. Besides, it is discovered to evolve other functions despite color vision. However, research on its unconventional function is limited nowadays. With the increase in genome database numbers, various numbers and types of opsins have been identified in insects due to gene duplications or losses. The Nilaparvata lugens (Hemiptera) is a rice pest known for its long-distance migration capability. In this study, opsins were identified in N. lugens and characterized by genome and transcriptome analyses. Meanwhile, RNA interference (RNAi) was carried out to investigate the functions of opsins, and then the Illumina Novaseq 6000 platform-based transcriptome sequencing was performed to reveal gene expression patterns.ResultsFour opsins belonging to G protein-coupled receptors were identified in the N. lugens genome, including one long-sensitive opsin (Nllw) together with two ultraviolet-sensitive opsins (NlUV1/2) and an additional new opsin with hypothesized UV peak sensitivity (NlUV3-like). A tandem array of NlUV1/2 on the chromosome suggested the presence of a gene duplication event, with similar exons distribution. Moreover, as revealed by spatiotemporal expression, the four opsins were highly expressed in eyes with age-different expression levels. Besides, RNAi targeting each of the four opsins did not significantly affect the survival of N. lugens in phytotron, but the silencing of Nllw resulted in the melanization of body color. Further transcriptome analysis revealed that silencing of Nllw resulted in up-regulation of a tyrosine hydroxylase gene (NlTH) and down-regulation of an arylalkylamine-N-acetyltransferases gene (NlaaNAT) in N. lugens, demonstrating that Nllw is involved in body color plastic development via the tyrosine-mediated melanism pathway.ConclusionsThis study provides the first evidence in a Hemipteran insect that an opsin (Nllw) takes part in the regulation of cuticle melanization, confirming a cross-talk between the gene pathways underlying the visual system and the morphological differentiation in insects.

Global patterns of genomic and phenotypic variation in the invasive harlequin ladybird

BackgroundThe harlequin ladybird Harmonia axyridis (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae), native to Asia, has been introduced to other major continents where it has caused serious negative impacts on local biodiversity. Though notable advances to understand its invasion success have been made during the past decade, especially with then newer molecular tools, the conclusions reached remain to be confirmed with more advanced genomic analyses and especially using more samples from larger geographical regions across the native range. Furthermore, although H. axyridis is one of the best studied invasive insect species with respect to life history traits (often comparing invasive and native populations), the traits responsible for its colonization success in non-native areas warrant more research.ResultsOur analyses of genome-wide nuclear population structure indicated that an eastern Chinese population could be the source of all non-native populations and revealed several putatively adaptive candidate genomic loci involved in body color variation, visual perception, and hemolymph synthesis. Our estimates of evolutionary history indicate (1) asymmetric migration with varying population sizes across its native and non-native range, (2) a recent admixture between eastern Chinese and American populations in Europe, (3) signatures of a large progressive, historical bottleneck in the common ancestors of both populations and smaller effective sizes of the non-native population, and (4) the southwest origin and subsequent dispersal routes within its native range in China. In addition, we found that while two mitochondrial haplotypes-Hap1 and Hap2 were dominant in the native range, Hap1 was the only dominant haplotype in the non-native range. Our laboratory observations in both China and USA found statistical yet slight differences between Hap1 and Hap2 in some of life history traits.ConclusionsOur study on H. axyridis provides new insights into its invasion processes into other major continents from its native Asian range, reconstructs a geographic range evolution across its native region China, and tentatively suggests that its invasiveness may differ between mitochondrial haplotypes.

JAPANESE IDIOMS USE LIMBS THEIR MEANING OF DECLARATION NATURE AND BEHAVIOR

Expressive expressions that cannot be explained logically or grammatically are called idioms. Types of idioms based on their constituent elements are divided into six types, namely idioms with names of body parts, colors, animals, plants, numbers, and natural objects. Then based on the type of meaning, idioms are divided into five types, namely idioms that express feelings/senses, nature or behavior, actions or activities, degrees or values, and the life of society or culture. The purpose of this research is to describe the meaning idiomatical idioms of the body that express nature and behavior. The method used is method qualitative descriptive. The results of this study are Japanese idioms using limbs that are found as many as 24 data, 11 idiom data which states the nature and 13 idiom data which states the behavior.

Metabolism, antioxidant and immunity in acute and chronic hypoxic stress and the improving effect of vitamin C in the channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus).

Hypoxia is the most significant factor that threatens the health and even survival of freshwater and marine fish. Priority should be given to the investigation of hypoxia adaptation mechanisms and their subsequent modulation. Acute and chronic studies were designed for the current study. Acute hypoxia comprised of normoxia dissolved oxygen (DO) 7.0 ± 0.5 mg/mL (N0), low-oxygen 5.0 ± 0.5 mg/mL(L0), and hypoxia 1.0 ± 0.1 mg/mL (H0) and 300 mg/L Vc for hypoxia regulation (N300, L300, H300). Chronic hypoxia comprised of normoxia (DO 7.0 ± 0.5 mg/mL) with 50 mg/kg Vc in the diet (N50) and low oxygen (5.0 ± 0.5 mg/mL) with 50, 250, 500 mg/kg Vc in the diet (L50, L250, L500) to assess the effect of Vc in hypoxia. The growth, behavior, hematological parameters, metabolism, antioxidants, and related inflammatory factors of channel catfish were investigated, and it was found that channel catfish have a variety of adaptive mechanisms in response to acute and chronic hypoxia. Under acute 5 mg/mL DO, the body color lightened (P < 0.05) and reverted to normal with 300 mg/mL Vc. PLT was significantly elevated after 300 mg/L Vc (P < 0.05), indicating that Vc can effectively restore hemostasis following oxygen-induced tissue damage. Under acute hypoxia, the significantly increased of cortisol, blood glucose, the gene of pyruvate kinase (pk), and phosphofructokinase (pfk), together with the decreased expression of fructose1,6-bisphosphatase (fbp) and the reduction in myoglycogen, suggested that Vc might enhance the glycolytic ability of the channel catfish. And the enzyme activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) and the gene expression of sod rose significantly, showing that Vc might improve the antioxidant capacity of the channel catfish. The significant up-regulation of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (tnf-α), interleukin-1β (il-1β), and cd68 under acute hypoxia implies that hypoxia may generate inflammation in channel catfish, whereas the addition of Vc and down-regulation of these genes suggests that Vc suppresses inflammation under acute hypoxia. We found that the final weight, WGR, FCR, and FI of channel catfish were significantly reduced under chronic hypoxia, and that feeding 250 mg/kg of Vc in the diet was effective in alleviating the growth retardation caused by hypoxia. The significant increase in cortisol, blood glucose, myoglycogen, and the expression of tnf-α, il-1β, and cd68 (P < 0.05) and the significant decrease in lactate (P < 0.05) under chronic hypoxia indicated that the channel catfish had gradually adapted to the survival threat posed by hypoxia and no longer relied on carbohydrates as their primary source of energy. While the addition of Vc did not appear to increase the energy supply of the fish under hypoxia in terms of glucose metabolism, but the significantly decreased expression of tnf-α, il-1β, and cd68 (P < 0.05) also were found, indicating that chronic hypoxia, similar acute hypoxia, may increase inflammation in the channel catfish. This study indicates that under acute stress, channel catfish withstand stress by raising energy supply through glycolysis, and acute hypoxic stress significantly promotes inflammation in channel catfish, but Vc assists the channel catfish resist stress by raising glycolysis, antioxidant capacity, and decreasing the production of inflammatory markers. Under chronic hypoxia, the channel catfish no longer utilize carbohydrates as their primary energy source, and Vc may still effectively reduce inflammation in the channel catfish under hypoxia.

Atmosphere and room temperature plasma alters the m6A methylome profiles and regulates gene expression associated with color mutation in clownfish (Amphiprion ocellaris)

Since the release of the movie Finding Nemo, clownfish have been known and loved by many people. Clownfish have a very vivid skin color and extreme ornamental value. However, there are few species of clownfish, which greatly limits the breeding of new varieties. In this study, the Atmosphere and room temperature plasma (ARTP) method was used to treat clownfish-fertilized eggs and successfully screened out mutants that exhibited a skin color change from black to red in their offspring. To elucidate the molecular mechanism underlying this color mutation, more than 17,000 methylated peaks were obtained via m6A-specific methylated RNA immunoprecipitation with next-generation sequencing (MeRIP-seq). These modification sites were mainly distributed around stop codons, and the number of corresponding genes exceeded 10,000. Further RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) of clownfish before and after the mutation was performed identified 883 genes that exhibited significant differences between the two samples, among which 152 interaction genes showed significant differences in the m6A methylated level and gene expression level. The results of a functional analysis showed that the phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3K)-serine/threoninekinase (Akt) pathway and its related signal pathways may play an important role in skin color change. In particular, genes such as mitogen activated protein kinase kinase 1 (MAP2K1), insulin―like growth factor―l (IGF1), and fibroblast growth factor 1 (FGF1) may play key roles in the accumulation of melanin in clownfish, and the homeobox-protein-encoding empty spiracles homeobox 2 (EMX2) and mesenchyme homeobox (MEOX2) genes may be important for determining the regions of accumulation of this skin pigment. Our results provide a new reference for the genetic breeding of clownfish and lay a foundation for further understanding the molecular mechanism underlying body color changes in clownfish.

Influence of Different Temperatures and Sexes on the Survival and Stress Responses of Nile Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus L.)

This study was conducted to assess the influence of different water temperature ranges and sexes on the stress response of Nile tilapia. Sixteen proactive males and sixteen proactive female fish were used in the study. There were eight combinations of factors, and each combination was replicated four times. Changes in eye color pattern (ECP), ventilation rate (VR), and skin color of the fish were monitored after reaching the treatment temperature of the environment. Mortality of fish was also monitored. Results showed that the ECP of fish was significantly (P&lt;0.01) affected by water temperature and sex of fish. Similarly, VR of fish was also significantly (P&lt;0.01) affected by water temperature and sex of fish. Decreased dissolved oxygen (DO) was observed in increasing water temperature which may have also contributed to the stress response of Nile tilapia besides the increasing water temperature. Two out of four fish in T4M died after 6-12 hours of exposure while in T4F three out of four fish died after 2-4 hours. There was a decrease in the final weight of fish in all combinations of factors. On body color, both male and female fish exposed to increasing water temperatures exhibited an intense body color (presence of vertical stripes). From the results of this study, male fish had significantly lower (P&lt;0.01) ECP scores and VR values than female fish when exposed to different ranges of water temperature. Likewise, male fish exposed to high temperatures (39-40°C) survived longer than female fish. Therefore, it can be concluded that male fish are more tolerant to increasing water temperature up to 37°C than female fish since males can easily cope with stress.

Ant Colony Optimization for Resistor Color Code Detection

In the early stages of learning resistors, introducing color-based values is needed. Moreover, some combinations require a resistor trip analysis to identify. Unfortunately, a resistor body color is considered a local solution, which often confuses resistor coloration. Ant Colony Optimization (ACO) is a heuristic algorithm that can recognize problems with traveling a group of ants. ACO is proposed to select commercial matrix values to be computed without preventing local solutions. In this study, each explores the matrix based on pheromones and heuristic information to generate local solutions. Global solutions are selected based on their high degree of similarity with other local solutions. The first stage of testing focuses on exploring variations of parameter values. Applying the best parameters resulted in 85% accuracy and 43 seconds for 20 resistor images. This method is expected to prevent local solutions without wasteful computation of the matrix.

A new species of Ceresium Newman, 1842 (Coleoptera, Cerambycidae) from Thailand

A new unusual species of the genus Ceresium Newman, 1842 is described from SE Thailand. Ceresium svetlanae sp. n. characterized by black body coloration, white transversal band on elytra, and white spots in pronotal edges. Elytral and pronotal tomentose cover is represented by scaly setae and scales, last tarsomeres with ventral large hook-like spine on apex.

NEW DATA ON THE FAUNA OF LEAF-BEETLES (COLEOPTERA, CHRYSOMELIDAE) FROM THE SOUTH OF THE RUSSIAN FAR EAST

Four species are recorded from Russia for the first time: Altica cirsicola Ohno 1960, Neocrepidodera recticollis (Jacoby 1885), Sphaeroderma tarsatum Baly 1874 and Cassida koreana Borowiec Cho 2011. A new colour form of Cryptocephalus flavoscutellaris Medvedev 1973 is described from Sakhalin. The variability of body coloration in Cryptocephalus nigrofasciatus Jacoby 1885 is discussed. The following synonymy is confirmed: Cryptocephalus nigrofasciatus Jacoby 1885 = Cryptocephalus turpis Chen 1942. Two taxa, Cryptocephalus sagamensis Tomov 1982 from South Korea and C. nigrofasciatus are probably conspecific. A new record of Altica caerulescens (Baly 1874) from Russia is provided and its differences from Altica viridicyanea (Baly 1874) are given. New data on the rare Aphthona ussuriensis Romantsov 2021 and Monolepta pallidula (Baly 1874) are presented. The status of three similar species of the genus Sphaeroderma Stephens 1831 (S. fuscicorne Baly 1864, S. akebiae Ohno 1964 and S. unicolor Kimoto 1965) is discussed. А new identification key to all species of this genus from the Russian Far East is compiled. Characters for distinguishing Cassida koreana Borowiec Cho 2011 from Cassida vespertina Boheman 1862 are given. Dorsal habitus photographs of adults and their genitalia are provided for all aforementioned species and their close allies.

Identification and characterization of circRNAs from different body color leopard coral grouper (Plectropomus leopardus)

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) play key roles in several biological processes in animals and their regulatory mechanism in body color formation or pigmentation in fish remains unclear. Here, circRNAs from black and red individuals of Plectropomus leopardus were identified to clarify the mechanism of circRNAs and the competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) network (circRNA-microRNA (miRNA)-messenger RNA (mRNA)) in body color formation. We detected a total of 1,424 novel circRNAs. Expression analysis of circRNAs in black vs. red P. leopardus revealed 24 differentially expressed circRNAs (DECs), and 11 and 13 of these DECs were up-regulated and down-regulated in red individuals relative to black individuals, respectively (P&amp;lt;0.05 and |log2 Fold Change (FC)|&amp;gt;1). We identified a total of 19 significant miRNA-circRNA-mRNA ceRNA networks through the analysis of DECs, differentially expressed miRNAs (DEMs) and differentially expressed genes (DEGs). Pathway enrichment analyses of the DEGs involved in the ceRNA network revealed that they were mainly involved in melanin metabolism and immune response. Our findings showed the possibility of the regulatory functions of circRNAs and the corresponding ceRNA network in the body color formation process and will aid the breeding selection process of P. leopardus.

Characterization of five pigmentation genes as transgenic markers in Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

The fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith), has become one of the most damaging pests worldwide since its invasion of Africa, Asia and Oceania from 2016, threatening plants in 76 families including important crops. Genetics-based methods have proved to be an efficient way to control pests, especially invasive species, but many difficulties must be overcome to develop a transgenic insect strain, especially for a non-model species. Here we thus sought to identify a visible marker that would facilitate the distinction between genetically modified (GM) and non-transgenic insects, thereby simplifying mutation identification and facilitating the broader application of genome editing tools in non-model insects. Five genes (sfyellow-y, sfebony, sflaccase2, sfscarlet, and sfok) that are orthologs of well-studied genes in pigment metabolism were knocked out using the CRISPR/Cas9 system to identify candidate gene markers. Two genes, Sfebony and Sfscarlet, were identified responsible for body and compound eye coloration, respectively, in S. frugiperda, and could be potential visual markers for genetics-based pest management strategies.

Visual antipredator effects of web flexing in an orb web spider, with special reference to web decorations.

Some visual antipredator strategies involve the rapid movement of highly contrasting body patterns to frighten or confuse the predator. Bright body colouration, however, can also be detected by potential predators and used as a cue. Among spiders, Argiope spp. are usually brightly coloured but they are not a common item in the diet of araneophagic wasps. When disturbed, Argiope executes a web-flexing behaviour in which they move rapidly and may be perceived as if they move backwards and towards an observer in front of the web. We studied the mechanisms underlying web-flexing behaviour as a defensive strategy. Using multispectral images and high-speed videos with deep-learning-based tracking techniques, we evaluated body colouration, body pattern, and spider kinematics from the perspective of a potential wasp predator. We show that the spider's abdomen is conspicuous, with a disruptive colouration pattern. We found that the body outline of spiders with web decorations was harder to detect when compared to spiders without decorations. The abdomen was also the body part that moved fastest, and its motion was composed mainly of translational (vertical) vectors in the potential predator's optical flow. In addition, with high contrast colouration, the spider's movement might be perceived as a sudden change in body size (looming effect) as perceived by the predator. These effects alongside the other visual cues may confuse potential wasp predators by breaking the spider body outline and affecting the wasp's flight manoeuvre, thereby deterring the wasp from executing the final attack.

Astrocharis margarita sp. nov., a new snake star (Echinodermata, Ophiuroidea, Euryalidae) from a seamount in the Western Pacific.

During the scientific expedition of the R/V Kexue in 2014, a new species belonging to the genus Astrocharis Koehler, 1904 was collected from a seamount near the Yap Trench. Astrocharis margarita sp. nov. is distinguished from the other species of Astrocharis by the following characters: radial shields are partly naked or completely covered by polygonal ossicles, and the body color is uniformly light pink. Maximum Likelihood Tree and Bayesian Tree, based on a concatenated dataset of COI, 16S, and 18S genes analyses, indicated that the monophyly of Astrocharis was not supported, which suggested the genus needs to be revised.

Scanning sympatric sika deer and Japanese serows using drones: A methodological trial in Mt. Asama, Central Japan

AbstractThe negative impacts of sika deer (Cervus nippon) on Japanese serows (Capricornis crispus) are a subject of concern in the mountainous regions of Japan. To develop a methodology to collect information with regard to the abundance and habitat selection of sympatric large mammals using drones (unmanned aerial vehicles; UAVs) equipped with thermal infrared and red‐green‐blue (RGB) sensors, surveys were conducted at night and in the early morning in a high mountainous habitat. Despite the similar size and shape in thermal infrared images for sika deer and Japanese serows, species identification based on body color using RGB images was possible during the period from dawn to early morning. The UAV surveys also revealed the large abundance of deer (&gt;40 deer/km2) and suggested different habitat selection between deer and serows in the alpine grassland. Our results were the first snapshots of sympathetic deer and serow distribution. UAV surveys using both thermal infrared and RGB sensors in early morning could be useful for research and monitoring of large mammals in open areas, such as grasslands, marshlands, high mountains, farmlands and drylands.

Which side are you on? Spider web positioning affects prey capture more than body colour

Colour has been hypothesized to play a crucial role in prey capture for sit-and-wait predators that rely on visual cues to deceive their prey. Prey capture success has been directly linked to colouration in spiders; however, evidence so far focuses mostly on dorsal colouration, excluding ventral patterns that are visible to prey and may be relevant for prey attraction. Here, we explored whether the dorsal and ventral colouration of a colour polymorphic spider is associated with light environment and prey capture success. We quantified the number of prey captured across three dorsal (black, white, and yellow) and two ventral (black and a mosaic yellow/orange pattern) morphs of Gasteracantha cancriformis, considering light intensity on dorsal and ventral sides. We found that spiders capture more prey in low light environments, and that individuals often expose their dorsal colouration towards low light levels. We did not find significant differences in prey capture rate between morphs dorsally or ventrally. These results indicate that how and where spiders position their web can be more important for prey capture than colouration. Alternative hypotheses such as aposematism, camouflage and thermoregulation deserve more attention in future studies that aim to understand the role of colouration in spiders and the factors causing spider colour polymorphisms.

New species of the dancing semislug Cryptosemelus Collinge, 1902 (Eupulmonata, Ariophantidae) from Loei Province, northeastern Thailand with a key to genera of mainland Southeast Asian semislugs and a key to species of the genus.

In this study, we describe a new dancing semislug from a limestone hill area in northeastern Thailand. Cryptosemelusnigersp. nov. differs from the three recognized congener species from western and southern Thailand, due to differences in their body and shell lobes coloration, appearance of penial caecum, shape and surface texture of penis and epiphallus, and radula formula and morphology.

Combinatorial expression of ebony and tan generates body color variation from nymph through adult stages in the cricket, Gryllus bimaculatus.

Insect body colors and patterns change markedly during development in some species as they adapt to their surroundings. The contribution of melanin and sclerotin pigments, both of which are synthesized from dopamine, to cuticle tanning has been well studied. Nevertheless, little is known about how insects alter their body color patterns. To investigate this mechanism, the cricket Gryllus bimaculatus, whose body color patterns change during postembryonic development, was used as a model in this study. We focused on the ebony and tan genes, which encode enzymes that catalyze the synthesis and degradation, respectively, of the precursor of yellow sclerotin N-β-alanyl dopamine (NBAD). Expression of the G. bimaculatus (Gb) ebony and tan transcripts tended to be elevated just after hatching and the molting period. We found that dynamic alterations in the combined expression levels of Gb'ebony and Gb'tan correlated with the body color transition from the nymphal stages to the adult. The body color of Gb'ebony knockout mutants generated by CRISPR/Cas9 systemically darkened. Meanwhile, Gb'tan knockout mutants displayed a yellow color in certain areas and stages. The phenotypes of the Gb'ebony and Gb'tan mutants probably result from an over-production of melanin and yellow sclerotin NBAD, respectively. Overall, stage-specific body color patterns in the postembryonic stages of the cricket are governed by the combinatorial expression of Gb'ebony and Gb'tan. Our findings provide insights into the mechanism by which insects evolve adaptive body coloration at each developmental stage.

Imperfect ant mimicry contributes to local adaptation in a jumping spider

Putative ant mimicry is a remarkable example of an evolutionary strategy that can be well integrated into the framework of natural selection and adaptation. However, challenges remain in understanding imperfect ant mimicry. Here, we combine trait quantification and behavioral assays to investigate imperfect ant mimicry in the jumping spider Siler collingwoodi. We performed trajectory analysis and gait analysis to show that the locomotor characters of S.collingwoodi generally resemble those of the putative ant models, supporting the multiple models hypothesis. We then performed background-matching analysis, revealing that body coloration may be involved in background camouflage. We further carried out antipredation assays and found that S.collingwoodi had a significantly lower risk of predation than nonmimetic salticids, suggesting an overall protective effect of Batesian mimicry. Our findings quantitatively demonstrate a combination of mimicry and camouflage in S.collingwoodi and thus highlight the significance of a complex phenomenon driven by natural selection.

Identification of candidate growth-related SNPs and genes using GWAS and transcriptome analyses in leopard coral grouper (Plectropomus leopardus)

Leopard coral grouper, Plectropomus leopardus with gorgeous body color and rich nutritional value, which is favored by consumers and has high economic value and breeding value. Growth trait is one of the most important economic traits of fish, and its improvement has contributed to the development of aquaculture industry. However, there has been less research related to the growth properties of the leopard coral grouper. Thus, two strategies of genome-wide association study (GWAS) and RNA-seq were used for five growth traits in 307 leopard coral groupers. We identified 12 significant and 4 suggestive SNPs located predominantly on 23 chromosomes associated with growth traits. Within the 50 kb window of significant and suggestive SNPs, 12 growth-related genes candidates were detected, four of which were located in exon regions, corresponding to the genes zgc:63572, coro2a, btn1a1 and per2, respectively. Interestingly, SNP 23: 17993215 for per2 and SNP 23: 19213238 for btn1a1 occur as non-synonymous mutations in the exon. At the same time, we performed RNA-seq on both the high- and low-weight groups in 6 leopard coral groupers. The results show that 549 differentially expression genes (DEGs) were obtained, DEGs significant enrichment in fatty acid metabolism, amino acid metabolism and other metabolic pathways by GO (Gene Ontology) enrichment and KEGG pathway analysis. Finally, the per2 and acadvl were identified by GWAS and RNA-seq, which play an important role in locomotor activity and metabolism. Our findings could improve the mapping efficiency of leopard coral grouper growth candidate genes, which will provide a theoretical basis for molecular assisted breeding of leopard coral grouper.

LncRNA–miRNA–mRNA ceRNA network of different body colors in Plectropomus leopardus

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) play a multifaceted role in transcriptional regulation, and the potential molecular regulatory mechanisms of lncRNAs and lncRNA–miRNA–mRNA networks in body color formation are of great significance for its selective breeding. Therefore, lncRNAs and lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA ceRNA network of red- and black-colored Plectropomus leopardus were identified and analyzed. Sequencing analyses identified 167 differentially expressed lncRNAs (DELs) between red- and black-colored P. leopardus, including 89 upregulated and 78 downregulated DELs in the red-colored group (false discovery rate (FDR) &amp;lt; 0.05 and |log2FC| &amp;gt; 1). Differentially expressed miRNA (DEM), genes (DEG), and DEL analyses found 605 and 125 negatively co-expressed miRNA–mRNA pairs and lncRNA–miRNA pairs, respectively. Further correlation analysis with Spearman’s correlation coefficient &amp;gt;0.9 as the threshold identified 3,721 lncRNA–mRNA pairs. Then, a competitive endogenous RNA (ceRNA) network of 325 pairs (p &amp;lt; 0.05) was obtained. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment of network DEGs showed that melanin metabolic process, lipid metabolism, and immune-related pathway were enriched. The ceRNA network provided interactions among lncRNAs, miRNAs, and mRNAs and extended the molecular foundation of body color formation.