Fig. 3

Dynamic visible color emanating from a single chromatophore over time Consecutive Movie frames (a–i) taken from Supplementary Movie 2 (7.60–7.87 s, where each frame represents 0.03 s) showing the relaxation of a yellow chromatophore in the lower right-hand side. The white outline in a (20 × 20 pixel square) shows the location of the selected area used to measure RGB profiles in each frame. These frames were selected because they encompass the visible spectrum, giving unique red, green, and blue (RGB) values during the actuation cycle. j Using ImageJ software, the RGB values over the selected area were measured, averaged, and plotted from each frame, Here, the line graph shows the changes in RGB value intensities over time with the red triangles anchored by solid red lines representing red values, the green circles anchored by dashed green lines representing green values, and the blue squares anchored by dotted blue lines representing blue values. The changing RGB values shown here comprise a much wider range of colors than previously attributable to absorbance by any yellow chromatophores and constitute strong argument that dynamic structural color mechanisms must be present