The mechanism of light reflectance in silverfish

Journal article

The reflectance of the common silverfish was first studied by Robert Hooke and is reported in his book Micrographia. Here we report a new study of the mechanism of the reflectance in the common silverfish (Ctenolepisma sp.). The reflectance from the body of the animal was measured with and without scales using optical spectrophotometry. The structure of the surface region of the body of the animal was studied in cross-section using transmission electron microscopy, revealing a doubly chirped multilayer stack in the upper layers of the exoskeleton. By calculating the reflectance of this multilayer, it is shown that it accounts for most of the visible reflectance but with a large deficit in the infrared compared with observation. The scales of the silverfish give rise to some absorption in the visible and the periodically spaced ribs give rise to some reflectance in the infrared. Modelling the ribs as an array of chitin cylinders accounts for the reflectance of the scales. The remainder of the observed reflectance in the infrared is attributed to reflectance from the body of the animal underneath the multilayer stack.

Authors: Large, M; McKenzie, DR; Parker, A; Steel, B; Ho, K

• Publication status: Published
• Journal: PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY A-MATHEMATICAL PHYSICAL AND ENGINEERING SCIENCES
• Volume: 457
• Issue: 2007
• Pages: 511-518
• Publication date: 2001-03-08
• DOI: 10.1098/rspa.2000.0679
• EISSN: 1471-2946
• ISSN: 1364-5021
• Language: English
• Keywords: silverfish; diffraction; reflectance; multilayer filter