Octopus, squid and cuttlefish are renowned for rapid adaptive coloration that is used for a wide range of communication and camouflage. Structural coloration plays a key role in augmenting the skin patterning that is produced largely by neurally controlled pigmented chromatophore organs. While most iridescence and white scattering is produced by passive reflectance or diffusion, some iridophore...

The relevance of cephalopods for fisheries and even aquaculture, is raising concerns on the relationship between these molluscs and environmental stressors, from climate change to pollution. However, how these organisms cope with environmental toxicants is far less understood than for other molluscs, especially bivalves, which are frontline models in aquatic toxicology. Although, sharing the sa...

Arginine kinases were isolated from the cephalopods Nautilus pompilius, Octopus vulgaris, and Sepioteuthis lessoniana, and the cDNA-derived amino acid sequences have been determined. Although the origin and evolution of cephalopods have long been obscure, this work provides the first molecular evidence for the phylogenetic position of Cephalopoda in molluscan evolution. A crystal structure for ...

Large pelagic fishes are top predators inhabiting the water column of the tropical and subtropical Pacific Ocean. They are highly migratory organisms, and for Ecuadorian fisheries, they also represent important economic resources. We sampled 4 shark species, Prionace glauca, Isurus oxyrinchus, Carcharhinus falciformis and Alopias pelagicus, and 3 billfish species, Xiphias gladius, Istiophorus p...

Cuttlefish and other cephalopods achieve dynamic background matching with two general classes of body patterns: uniform (or uniformly stippled) patterns and mottle patterns. Both pattern types have been described chiefly by the size scale and contrast of their skin components. Mottle body patterns in cephalopods have been characterized previously as small-to-moderate-scale light and dark skin p...

In relation to consumer demand, crustaceans and cephalopods are sold as both fresh and defrosted. It is well known that total volatile basic nitrogen (TVB-N) and volatile amine values, especially, biogenic amines and biogenic amine index, are expression of freshness of fish products, but there is a lack of knowledge of their acceptability limits, for crustaceans and cephalopods. In order to ass...

We present a mechanism by which organisms with only a single photoreceptor, which have a monochromatic view of the world, can achieve color discrimination. An off-axis pupil and the principle of chromatic aberration (where different wavelengths come to focus at different distances behind a lens) can combine to provide "color-blind" animals with a way to distinguish colors. As a specific example...

Aquatic products decrease environmental burdens and improve human health by supplying various essential nutrients, while their contamination with metal(loid)s could pose risks to humans through food chain. In this study, the concentrations, trophic magnification of multiple in aquatic were analyzed, including arsenic, cadmium, mercury, lead, cobalt, manganese, iron, copper, nickel zinc. The res...