• Korean Journal of Ichthyology
• /
• v.21 no.2
• /
• pp.100-105
• /
• 2009

Histological study of normal and albinic catfish Silurus asotus produced in aquaculture has been carried out on organs such as the eye, the barbel, the dorsal fin, and the skin (including dorsal, ventral and lateral regions). Although individuals have no differences in morphological appearance, their colors showed clear difference as follows: the normal catfishes were black overall, but the albinic ones have a yellowish-white color over the whole body, red eyes and white barbels. All the organs investigated were fundamentally very similar in structure. Regarding the distribution and density of the melanin pigments, however, the albinic catfish have no melanin in the skin and eye, particularly in the basement membrane of the epidermis and the pigment epithelial layer in the retina, while the normal catfish have lots of melanin. This phenomenon may coincide with the so-called $i^1/i^1$ type of oculocutaneous albinism.