A Bilateral Color Anomaly in the Crayfish, Orconectes immunis (Hagen)

Authors

Virgil E. Dowell, University of Northern IowaFollow
Leonard P. Winier, University of Northern Iowa

Document Type

Research

Abstract

A live female crayfish; Orconectes immunis (Hagen) exhibiting unusual body coloration was given to the biology laboratories at the University of Northern Iowa for study. Its right half, including antennae and other appendages, was colored an azure blue; the left half was colored normally. This bilateral coloration mosaicism persisted following molting. Gynandromorphism as a corollary factor is eliminated on the basis that no apparent external sexual intergradation of sexual dimorphism was noticeable. Somatic mutation in early embryonic development is the most likely explanation. A mutation in a gene affecting some aspect of the biochemical synthesis pathway in pigmentation seems to be operative.

Publication Date

1969

Journal Title

Proceedings of the Iowa Academy of Science

Volume

76

Issue

1

First Page

487

Last Page

492

Copyright

©1969 Iowa Academy of Science, Inc.

Language

en

File Format

application/pdf

Recommended Citation

Dowell, Virgil E. and Winier, Leonard P. (1969) "A Bilateral Color Anomaly in the Crayfish, Orconectes immunis (Hagen)," Proceedings of the Iowa Academy of Science, 76(1), 487-492.
Available at: https://scholarworks.uni.edu/pias/vol76/iss1/64