| Abstract | Morski organizmi, osobito oni iz tropskih područja, često su briljantno obojeni, a pigmenti su rasprostranjeni jednako u sesilnih i vagilnih beskralježnjaka kao i kod pelagijskih morskih organizama. Ove spektakularne prirodne boje su uobičajene kod vrsta koje nastanjuju fotičku zonu, ali ne samo kod životinja izloženih jakom svjetlu, nego i u onih koji žive u tamnim područjima gdje su boje vidljive samo uz pomoć umjetnog osvjetljenja. Varijacije u boji su u korelaciji s vertikalnom distribucijom i zemljopisnom porijeklom, spolovima i sezonskim promjenama a prisutna je velika raznolikost u uzorku boja. Ove karakteristike rezultat su različitih interaktivnih procesa i služe različitim namjenama - čini se da se raspodjela i funkcija pigmenata razlikuje među beskralježnjacima. Osim što igraju važnu ulogu u zaštiti i signalizaciji, pigmenti morskih beskralježnjaka mogu biti uključeni u važne fiziološke procese. Iako među kemijskim strukturama dominiraju pigmenti dušičnih spojeva, determinirani su pripadnici svih glavnih strukturnih klasa prirodnih spojeva, kao i oni koji su jedinstveni samo za morski okoliš (Bandaranayake, 2006).
Karotenoidi, sintetizirani u algama, hrana su mnogim morskim beskralježnjacima i često se povezuju s metabolizmom masti i ulja kao i sa žutonarančastom obojenosti jajašaca. Najrašireniji su pigmenti u morskom okolišu a posebno su važni za bodljikaše. Različite i često žive boje bodljikaša proizvode se djelovanjem pigmentnih stanica kože pomoću promjenjive kombinacije pigmenata, kao što su tamni melanin, crveni karotenoidi i karotenoproteini koji mogu biti plavi, zeleni ili ljubičasti. Rezultat su velike raznolikosti organskih pigmenata s kinonima i karotenoidima (karotenoproteinima) kao najvažnijim skupinama. Glavonošci također pokazuju veliku raznolikost boja. Pored skrivanja u pukotinama i malim rupama u koje se zavlače ovi dobro pokretljivi mekušci mekanog tijela, oslanjaju se također na sofisticirana tkiva i organe - kromatofore, iridofore, leukofore i papile - kako bi se uklopili u okolinu i poremetili obrise tijela, čineći pritom njihovo uočavanje otežanim. Najveća zagonetka osobina glavonožaca je mogućnost oponašanja boja u okolini jer se vjeruje da glavonošci nisu u mogućnosti raspoznavati boje (Sereni, 1930). Pigmenti u glavonožaca se najčešće pronalaze u pigmentnim stanicama na koži poznate pod nazivima kromatofore. Samo kromatofore sudjeluju u bojanju tijela, ostali kožni elementi iridofore i leukofore, sudjeluju u promjeni boje elektronskim podražajima odnosno mišićnim kontrakcijama koje mijenjaju poziciju reflektirajućih bjelančevina. |
| Abstract (english) | Marine organisms, especially those from tropical areas, are often brilliantly colored, and pigments are widespread in sessile and vagile invertebrates as well as in pelagic marine organisms. These spectacular natural colors are common in species that inhabit the photic zone, but not only in animals exposed to strong light, but also in those that live in dark areas where color is visible only with artificial light. Color variations are in corellation with vertical distribution, geographic origin, gender and seasonal variations, and it comes in great variety of hues. These characteristics are a result of various interactive processes and serve different purposes – it appears that the distribution and function of pigments differs among marine invertebrates. In addition to playing an important role in protecting and signaling, pigments may be involved in important physiological processes. Altough dominant chemical structures are nitrogenous, all classes of natural compounds are present, as well as those that are unique to the marine environment alone (Bandaranayake, 2006).
Carotenoids synthesized in algae, are food for many marine invertebrates and are often associated with fat and oil metabolism as well as with yellow – orange coloration of the eggs. These widespread pigments in the marine enviroment are especially important for echinoderms. Different and often live colors of echinoderms are produced by the action of pigmented skin cells using variable pigment combinations, such as dark melanin, red carotenoids and carotenoproteins that may be blue, green or purple. The result is a great variety of organic pigments with quinones and carotenoids (carotenoproteins) as the most important groups. Cephalopods also show a great variety of colors. In addition to hiding in the cracks and crevices, these soft bodied molluscs also rely on sophisticated tissues and organs – chromatophore, iridophore, leucophore and papile – to fit into the environment and distrupt contours of the body, thus making themselves difficult to be seen. Mayor mistery is their ability to imitate colors in the environment since, it is believed that cephalopods are color blind (Sereni, 1930). Pigments in cephalopods are most commonly found in pigmented skin cells known as chromatophores. Only chromatophores participate in coloration of the body, the other skin elements, iridophores and leucophores participate color disruption by electronic stimulation or muscle contactions that change position of reflecting proteins. |
