The Journal of Experimental Biology 204, 2103–2118 (2001) 2103 Printed in Great Britain © The Company of Biologists Limited 2001 JEB3380 REFLECTIVE PROPERTIES OF IRIDOPHORES AND FLUORESCENT ‘EYESPOTS’ IN THE LOLIGINID SQUID ALLOTEUTHIS SUBULATA AND LOLIGO VULGARIS L. M. MÄTHGER1,2,* AND E. J. DENTON1 1The Marine Biological Association of the UK, Citadel Hill, Plymouth PL1 2PB, UK and 2Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK *e-mail:
[email protected] Accepted 27 March 2001 Summary Observations were made of the reflective properties of parts of the spectrum and all reflections in other the iridophore stripes of the squid Alloteuthis subulata and wavebands, such as those in the red and near ultraviolet, Loligo vulgaris, and the likely functions of these stripes are will be weak. The functions of the iridophores reflecting red considered in terms of concealment and signalling. at normal incidence must be sought in their reflections of In both species, the mantle muscle is almost transparent. blue-green at oblique angles of incidence. These squid rely Stripes of iridophores run along the length of each side of for their camouflage mainly on their transparency, and the the mantle, some of which, when viewed at normal ventral iridophores and the red, green and blue reflective incidence in white light, reflect red, others green or blue. stripes must be used mainly for signalling. The reflectivities When viewed obliquely, the wavebands best reflected move of some of these stripes are relatively low, allowing a large towards the blue/ultraviolet end of the spectrum and fraction of the incident light to be transmitted into the their reflections are almost 100 % polarised.