The fairly recent discovery of melanosomes, preserved microscopic organelles that produce melanin, and their unique morphology that is indicative of color hue has led to the rapid growth of Paleocolor, a field that had produced many pigment reconstructions of fossilized birds, mammals, and insects. Understanding fossilized pigment patterns provides strong evidence for ecological relationships and habitat characteristics, such as countershading and disrupted coloration, when compared to the pigments of today. Despite the field’s growth, little research has been conducted on the melanosomes of fish. This study aimed to document melanosome-based pigment patterns on a Carboniferous-aged fossil fish specimen with visible dark stripes. These dark stripes were found to have melanosomes when compared to non-pigmented sections of the fish, which were located and photographed using an Environmental Electron Scanning Microscope. The distribution of these melanosomes within the visible pigmented stripes is therefore evidence of both disruptive coloration and countershading, which indicates the fish lived in a nearshore environment with a complex background.
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