Abstract
During an artificial breeding as a part of restoration of the endangered Korean bitterling Acheilognathus signifer, a small number of individuals exhibiting oculocutaneous albinism were produced. We compared the pigmentation and morphology of normal and albinic bitterlings by histological examination of skin samples obtained from 10 regions on the body, fins, and eyes. There were no differences in morphometry and in general morphology of skin between them. In normal bitterlings, pigment cells were better developed in the dorsal region, the upper part of caudal peduncle region, the choroid-retinal epithelium and iris than in other areas. In the albinic bitterling, however, pigment cells were present only in three parts of the dorsal region, the caudal and dorsal fin, which had few melanin cells. Albinic bitterlings also displayed deficient pigmentation in the choroid-retina pigment epithelium and iris. Although they had different pigmentation aspects in distribution and development between normal and albinic bitterlings, melanin cells were mainly present in the dorsal regions of the skin and eyes where are exposed directly to light.
멸조위기종인 묵납자루 Acheilognathus signifer의 종복원을 위한 인공수정을 실시하는 과정에서눈과 피부의 색소발현이 결여된 백색증 개체가 출현하였다. 정상 묵납자루와 백색증 개체간 색소발현과 형태의 차이여부를 알아보기 위하여 몸통, 지느러미 눈 등 총 10개 부위에 대한 조직학적 검사를 실시하였다. 그 결과 정상 묵납자루의 경우, 멜라닌세포는 빛에 쉽게 노출되는 등부위와 상미병부, 맥락막-망막색소상피층 및 홍채에서 다량으로 분포하였다. 반면에 백색증 개체에서는 멜라닌세포가 등 부위와 등지느러미, 그리고 꼬리지느러미에서 아주 소량으로 분포하고 있었으며 눈의 맥락막-망막색소상피층 및 홍채에서는 색소결핍 현상이 뚜렷하게 관찰되었다.
