Contrary To Its Striking Name, The Blue Shark (Prionace glauca) May Possess An Unexpected Ability: It Can Change Its Color. A Research Team From Hong Kong Has Identified Nanostructures In Its Skin Similar To Those Of Chameleons, Opening New Perspectives On Its Adaptation To The Marine Environment.
This Groundbreaking Discovery Is Based On A Detailed Analysis Of The Shark’s Toothed Scales And Reveals A Highly Advanced Optical Mechanism. Scientists Suspect That These Structures Could Respond To The Environment, Providing A Previously Unknown Camouflage Advantage Among Sharks.
A Nanometric Mechanism
The Blue Color Of The Shark Is Created By Guanine Crystals, Which Reflect Blue Light, Combined With Melanosomes, Which Absorb Other Wavelengths. These Elements, Encapsulated In Different Cells, Act Like A Selective Mirror And An Absorbing Filter.
The Distance Between The Crystal Layers Determines The Hue: When Compressed, They Produce Blue; When Expanded, They Shift Toward Green Or Yellow. Digital Simulations Have Confirmed This Flexibility, Although Their Natural Activation Still Needs To Be Observed In Situ.
“This System Is Similar To That Of Chameleons, But Features An Evolutionary Trait Unique To Sharks, Which Diverged From Bony Fishes Millions Of Years Ago.”
An Adaptation To The Environment?
Researchers Suspect That Water Pressure At Depth Compresses The Crystals, Darkening The Skin To Better Blend Into The Depths. Such An Adaptation Would Be The First Documented In A Shark, Although Other Species Show Similar Signs.
Potential Applications Are Already Inspiring Biomimetic Technology. Structural Coloration, Which Is Less Environmentally Harmful Than Chemical Pigments, Is Of Particular Interest To The Shipping And Textile Industries.
Finally, This Study Highlights The Diversity Of Animal Strategies For Producing Blue, A Color Rare In Nature. Sharks Thus Provide A New Model For Understanding The Evolution Of Optical Mechanisms.
This Discovery Could Fundamentally Change Our Understanding Of Sharks And Once Again Highlights How Many Secrets The Oceans Still Hold. The Fact That These Ancient Predators Possess Such Sophisticated Adaptation Mechanisms Illustrates The Remarkable Complexity Of Marine Ecosystems.
