Goldfish scale

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Mintaka
Posts: 241
Joined: Fri Feb 27, 2015 6:24 am

Goldfish scale

#1 Post by Mintaka » Fri Dec 07, 2018 11:01 am

Greetings. Attached is a pic of a scale from an olive colored fingerling goldfish, which I examined under the microscope. The colour giving cells (chromatophores) are mostly black octopus-like ones (melanophores) and the yellow xanthophores. Also visible are iridophores containing plates of iridescent guanine crystals. Together these cells give this particular goldfish its olive-metallic look - interesting enough, but regrettably not of much value as a show shubunkin.
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MichaelG.
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Joined: Mon Apr 10, 2017 8:24 am
Location: North Wales

Re: Goldfish scale

#2 Post by MichaelG. » Fri Dec 07, 2018 11:08 am

Fascinating ... Thanks

MichaelG.
Too many 'projects'

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mrsonchus
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Joined: Tue Feb 03, 2015 9:42 pm
Location: Cumbria, UK

Re: Goldfish scale

#3 Post by mrsonchus » Fri Dec 07, 2018 11:17 am

Wow, that's remarkably interesting my friend.
I always thought in my shameful ignorance :oops: that a fish-scale was just an inert 'chunk of hard stuff'. This is the first time I've seen such a glimpse not only of course of the familiar growth-pattern of a scale, but the constituent parts that give it, as you say, it's particular characteristics.

This is a great example of why microscopy is such a fascinating pursuit. Detail is all around us, waiting simply for someone to 'be interested'. I find exactly the same fascination with plant structure and minutiae.

Thanks for a very nice post and description of the structures therein.

John B. :)

p.s. - I too would be very interested to see what a shubunkin's scale has to offer.... maybe just one wafer-thin scale wouldn't be missed - for the sake of science of course! :D
John B

Tarloth
Posts: 46
Joined: Mon Sep 17, 2018 5:15 am

Re: Goldfish scale

#4 Post by Tarloth » Fri Dec 07, 2018 2:10 pm

THANKS! Fantastic photograph!

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