Bilateral colour asymmetry

[Brian Ring]

Check to see if it is heritable first.

Brian Ring @ the bio zoo
:):):):):):):):)
address:
Dept.of Biology
Bio Unit 1
Florida State University
Tallahassee, Fla. 32306-2043
email:
bring at freenet1.scri.fsu.edu
bring at bio.fsu.edu

On Tue, 22 Oct 1996, Geoff Ralling wrote:

> Date: Tue, 22 Oct 1996 11:20:49 GMT
> From: Geoff Ralling <ralling at UPEI.CA>
> To: dros at net.bio.net
> Subject: Bilateral colour asymmetry
> 
> I believe this group might be able to answer my questions about an unusual 
> lobster since drosophila types are interested in genes for body symmetry.
> 
> I work at the University of Prince Edward Island which houses the Atlantic 
> Veterinary College.  In one of the student demonstration tanks is an Atlantic 
> Lobster which shows complete bilateral colour asymmetry.  I have two questions:
> 
> 	What sort of mutation would cause this?  I can only think of a somatic 
> mutation in a colour gene occuring early in the development of the embryo.  
> Can someone support this or suggest an alternative?
> 
> 	Has anyone ever heard of or seen such a thing in any animal?  This 
> creature is wild-type colour on the RHS and bright red on the LHS with a razor 
> sharp line down its midline dividing left and right.  Bright red colour 
> mutants are occasionally caught around here but this left-right asymmetrical 
> is in my view spectacular.  It hasn't seemed to impress anyone else though.  
> 
> Thanks for any insights.  Hope this is an appropriate group.
> 
> Geoff Ralling
> University of Prince Edward Island
> ralling at upei.ca
> 
> 
> 
>