About: Axanthism

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Axanthism is a mutation that interferes with an animal's ability to produce yellow pigment. The mutation affects the amount of xanthophores and carotenoid vesicles, sometimes causing them to be completely absent. Erythrophores and iridophores, which are responsible for red coloration and light reflecting pigments respectively, may also be affected. Axanthism is most obvious in green animals, specifically amphibians, making them appear blue. Green coloration in animals is caused by iridiphores reflecting blue wavelengths of light back through the carotenoids in the xanthophores. In the absence of xanthophores and carotenoids, the blue light is unaltered and reflected back normally. Animals that are normally yellow will appear white if affected with axanthism.

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  • Axanthism is a mutation that interferes with an animal's ability to produce yellow pigment. The mutation affects the amount of xanthophores and carotenoid vesicles, sometimes causing them to be completely absent. Erythrophores and iridophores, which are responsible for red coloration and light reflecting pigments respectively, may also be affected. Axanthism is most obvious in green animals, specifically amphibians, making them appear blue. Green coloration in animals is caused by iridiphores reflecting blue wavelengths of light back through the carotenoids in the xanthophores. In the absence of xanthophores and carotenoids, the blue light is unaltered and reflected back normally. Animals that are normally yellow will appear white if affected with axanthism. While axanthism commonly makes green animals blue, it can also make the animal gray or even black, making it appear as if the animal has melanism; though they can be distinguished by how axanthic animals are slightly lighter and how melanistic animals produce more melanophores. When iridophores are affected by axanthism, the animal typically becomes duller or darker in coloration due to a lesser amount of light reflected. Typically it is only the skin that is affected, and the eyes still have iridophores. The opposite of axanthism is xanthochromism, which is an excess of yellow coloration. (en)
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  • Axanthism is a mutation that interferes with an animal's ability to produce yellow pigment. The mutation affects the amount of xanthophores and carotenoid vesicles, sometimes causing them to be completely absent. Erythrophores and iridophores, which are responsible for red coloration and light reflecting pigments respectively, may also be affected. Axanthism is most obvious in green animals, specifically amphibians, making them appear blue. Green coloration in animals is caused by iridiphores reflecting blue wavelengths of light back through the carotenoids in the xanthophores. In the absence of xanthophores and carotenoids, the blue light is unaltered and reflected back normally. Animals that are normally yellow will appear white if affected with axanthism. (en)
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  • Axanthism (en)
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