Peacocks, kingfishers and bluebirds are among some of the most eye-catching of birds, and in many cultures are particularly admired for their rich blue colours. We have long known that red and orange birds take their colour from their food, extracting pigments in the plant and animal matter they consume. Flamingoes are possibly the best-known example,…
Tag: colour
‘Solar powered’ sea slug uses captured algae to photosynthesise
Elysia chlorotica not only resembles a leaf, but uses plant-type cells to draw energy from the sun, too! This remarkable seaslug is able to extract chloroplasts from the algae it feeds on and incorporate them into their own tissues. The young slugs feed on algae and digest everything but the photosynthesising organelles, which are stored in the…
Iridescent scales on the wing of the sunset moth
The colour patterns on the wings of Lepidopterans (butterflies and moths) are costructed from thousands of scales. The sunset moth, Chrysiridia rhipheus have unique, iridescent patches which are produced not by pigmentation, but by microscopic adaptations to the structure of the scales themselves. Each one is made up of multiple layers, held separated by randomly located…
Flamboyant cuttlefish Metasepia pfefferi can see polarised light and may use it as a secret language
No prizes for guessing how the flamboyant cuttlefish got its name, then! This delightful species actually has surprisingly poor colour vision – but they have got another brilliant visual trick up their many sleeves. Cuttlefish are able to see polarisation; the plane of incoming light. It is even possible that they use this ability, together with their…
Anatomy To You 