The process in which a relatively unspecialized cell acquires the specialized features of a xanthophore cell. Xanthophores are pigment cells derived from the neural crest. They contain pteridine and/or carotenoid pigments in structures called pterinosomes or xanthosomes. This makes them yellow to orange in appearance. [ http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11858836 GOC:jid GOC:mh ]
Synonyms: xanthophore cell differentiation
Term information
Note that this term refers to xanthophores in the sense of specialized pigment-producing cells, and should not be confused with the cellular component term 'xanthophore ; GO:0031633', which refers to a subcellular structure.