THE EFFECT OF THE SKIN SECRETION OF XENOPUS LAEVIS ON ITS DERMAL MELANOPHORES

Abstract

The melanophores of Xenopus laevis differ physiologically from those of most other amphibians in that the response to excitement stimuli results in a dispersion of pigment rather than a concentration. This effect is independent of a hypophysis. By using excised webs in which only very few obviously non-secretory glands were found, it was demonstrated that the secretion itself possessed a pigment dispersing agent capable of acting directly on the melanophores.