The melanistic Bengal (solid black) resembles the panther, which is simply a melanistic leopard or jaguar.

They have a ghost pattern of spots (rosettes are large spots) or marbling, that are barely visable, except in sunlight.

Melanistics can also be silver (referred to as silver smoke), blue (referred to as solid blue) or snow (referred to as solid snow).

The eye colour of the melanistic Bengal can be green, gold or copper. Eye colour can also be blue if the Bengal is a solid snow.

Melanistic bengals have two copies of the non agouti gene (a). As this is a recessive gene, a copy of this gene must be inherited from each parent (a/a) for the kitten to be melanistic.