The compound eyes of mantis shrimps (Crustacea, Hoplocarida, Stomatopoda). I. Compound eye structure: the detection of polarized light

1991 ◽  
Vol 334 (1269) ◽  
pp. 33-56 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Compound Eye ◽  
Polarized Light ◽  
Structural Features ◽  
Polarization Sensitivity ◽  
Compound Eyes ◽  
Visual Tasks ◽  
Retinular Cells ◽  
High Degree ◽  
Structural Adaptations ◽  
Parallel Sampling

Stomatopod crustaceans possess compound eyes divided into three distinct regions: two peripheral retinae - the dorsal and ventral hemispheres — and the mid-band. Throughout the eye, in particular in the midband, there are many structural adaptations that potentially enable different portions of the eye to perform different visual tasks. A high degree of optical overlap between these eye regions allows the parallel sampling of various parameters of light from one direction in space. In consecutive papers, we present structural evidence that stomatopods have the receptors necessary for colour and polarization vision. The first paper describes the retinal structures that suggest the existence of polarization sensitivity in stomatopods. mid-band rows five and six, together with the hemispheres, are probably involved in this visual process. By using two strategies, rhabdomal modification and varying the orientation of similar ommatidial units in the three eye regions, stomatopods have the capacity to analyse polarized light in a very detailed manner. All the species included in this study live in shallow, tropical waters where polarized light signals are abundant. It therefore seems likely that their eyes have evolved to take advantage of such environmental cues. Structural evidence also suggests that all retinular cells in rows one to four of the mid-band, and the distal most retinular cells (R8) over most of the retina, are not sensitive to polarized light. These mid-band rows are instead adapted for colour detection. This function of the stomatopod retina and structural features concerned with colour sensitivity are described in paper II ( Phil. Trans. R. Soc. Lond. B 334, 57—84 (1991)).

Regionally different ommatidial structure in the compound eye of the water-flea Polyphemus (Cladocera, Crustacea)

1983 ◽  
Vol 217 (1207) ◽  
pp. 177-189 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Compound Eye ◽  
Polarized Light ◽  
Small Animal ◽  
Pigment Cells ◽  
Compound Eyes ◽  
Water Flea ◽  
Edge Type ◽  
Different Types ◽  
Visual Tasks ◽  
Ventral Edge

The two compound eyes of Polyphemus pediculus are completely fused in the midline to form a single integrated unit containing 130 ommatidia with four different types of rhabdoms. The general features of the eye include a cuticle lacking corneal lenses, crystalline cones composed of five cells and the presence of juxtacrystalline cells and distal pigment cells. The rhabdoms are fused and the palisade, when present, is a part of the extracellular space in which the rhabdom is suspended. Four different types of rhabdoms were found zonally arranged in the eye. (i) A foveal type, in the dorsofrontal region of the eye, is characterized by its long and slender shape. (Only five retinula cells contribute to forming this irregularly layered rhabdom, with the first layer composing the distal half of the rhabdom.) (ii) A second type, located ventrally to the fovea, is conventionally layered and is formed by six retinula cells, one of which is aberrant. (iii) A dorsolateral type is continuous (unlayered) and formed by six retinula cells of which one is aberrant. (iv) A dorsal and ventral edge type is wide and short, and lacking palisade. Six retinula cells contribute to the continuous rhabdom and two of these are aberrant with tiny rhabdomeres. The foveal type of rhabdom has a peculiar arrangement of the microvilli, which is thought to depress the sensitivity to vertically polarized light. This mechanism is believed to enhance the ability to detect prey. The zoned eye, with its specialized receptive apparatus, is interpreted as an adaptation for coping with a diversity of visual tasks by a very small animal.

scholarly journals Homothorax controls a binary Rhodopsin switch in Drosophila ocelli

PLoS Genetics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 17 (7) ◽  
pp. e1009460
Author(s):  
Abhishek Kumar Mishra ◽  
Cornelia Fritsch ◽  
Roumen Voutev ◽  
Richard S. Mann ◽  
Simon G. Sprecher
Keyword(s):  
Drosophila Melanogaster ◽  
Visual Perception ◽  
Compound Eye ◽  
Polarized Light ◽  
Fruit Fly ◽  
Compound Eyes ◽  
Ancestral Gene ◽  
Evolutionary Diversification ◽  
Opsin Genes ◽  
A Cell

Visual perception of the environment is mediated by specialized photoreceptor (PR) neurons of the eye. Each PR expresses photosensitive opsins, which are activated by a particular wavelength of light. In most insects, the visual system comprises a pair of compound eyes that are mainly associated with motion, color or polarized light detection, and a triplet of ocelli that are thought to be critical during flight to detect horizon and movements. It is widely believed that the evolutionary diversification of compound eye and ocelli in insects occurred from an ancestral visual organ around 500 million years ago. Concurrently, opsin genes were also duplicated to provide distinct spectral sensitivities to different PRs of compound eye and ocelli. In the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster, Rhodopsin1 (Rh1) and Rh2 are closely related opsins that originated from the duplication of a single ancestral gene. However, in the visual organs, Rh2 is uniquely expressed in ocelli whereas Rh1 is uniquely expressed in outer PRs of the compound eye. It is currently unknown how this differential expression of Rh1 and Rh2 in the two visual organs is controlled to provide unique spectral sensitivities to ocelli and compound eyes. Here, we show that Homothorax (Hth) is expressed in ocelli and confers proper rhodopsin expression. We find that Hth controls a binary Rhodopsin switch in ocelli to promote Rh2 expression and repress Rh1 expression. Genetic and molecular analysis of rh1 and rh2 supports that Hth acts through their promoters to regulate Rhodopsin expression in the ocelli. Finally, we also show that when ectopically expressed in the retina, hth is sufficient to induce Rh2 expression only at the outer PRs in a cell autonomous manner. We therefore propose that the diversification of rhodpsins in the ocelli and retinal outer PRs occurred by duplication of an ancestral gene, which is under the control of Homothorax.

The cone photoreceptor mosaic of the green sunfish, Lepomis cyanellus

1993 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 375-384 ◽  
Author(s):  
David A. Cameron ◽  
Stephen S. Easter
Keyword(s):  
Cross Sections ◽  
Polarized Light ◽  
Structural Features ◽  
Polarization Sensitivity ◽  
Cone Photoreceptor ◽  
Lepomis Cyanellus ◽  
Elliptical Cross ◽  
Theoretical Evidence ◽  
Green Sunfish ◽  
Photoreceptor Mosaic

AbstractRecent empirical and theoretical evidence has implicated the geometrical birefringence of the double cones of the green sunfish (Lepomis cyanellus) as the biophysical basis of this vertebrate’s sensitivity to polarized light. Because of the intimate link between the organization of the cone-photoreceptor mosaic and the psychophysical details of polarization sensitivity, we have examined the structural features of the green sunfish cone-photoreceptor mosaic, in particular the orientation of the elliptical cross sections of the double cones. Our primary observations are that (1) the arrangement of the cone-photoreceptor mosaic is constant across the retina (with two regional exceptions), with double cones arranged in a rhombic mosaic and aligned roughly ±45 deg to the nearest retinal margin; (2) the double-cone/single-cone ratio is everywhere the same; (3) cone density is inhomogeneous across the retina, with the highest densities in the temporal hemiretina. These results are discussed as they relate to the animal’s retinal growth and visual mechanisms, particularly the sensitivity to polarized light.

The compound eyes of mantis shrimps (Crustacea, Hoplocarida, Stomatopoda). II. Colour pigments in the eyes of stomatopod crustaceans: polychromatic vision by serial and lateral filtering

1991 ◽  
Vol 334 (1269) ◽  
pp. 57-84 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Spectral Range ◽  
Colour Vision ◽  
Polarized Light ◽  
Structural Features ◽  
Visual Pigments ◽  
Compound Eyes ◽  
Main Subject ◽  
Broad Spectral Range ◽  
Retinal Pigments

The stomatopod eye is divided into three distinct regions, two peripheral ‘hemispheres’ and a dividing mid-band. Each of these areas has a separate function and it is the six rows of ommatidia in the mid-band which are the main subject of study here. Rows one to four of the mid-band are probably not sensitive to polarized light (paper I ( Phil. Trans. R. Soc. Lond . B 334, 33—56 (1991))) and instead possess many structural features which suggest that they are concerned with colour analysis and perhaps colour vision. This, the second of two consecutive papers examines these adaptations in detail. They include brightly coloured intrarhabdomal filters, apparent lateral filters and a photoreceptor tiering system unique to the Crustacea. Cronin & Marshall ( J. comp. Physiol . 166, 261-275 (1989 b )) have shown that mid-band rows one to four contains at least eight distinct visual pigments. These, in combination with the structures described here allow the spectrum of light available to stomatopods to be sampled over a broad spectral range by receptors with narrowly tuned sensitivities. It is the photostable screening and filtering pigments, rather than the visual pigments, which are examined in detail in this paper. These have been divided into two categories: (i) the ‘standard’ retinal pigments, those that are often found in other crustacean eyes) (ii) the unusual’ retinal pigments: some of these are unique to stomatopod eyes and may be involved in colour vision.

scholarly journals Homothorax Controls a Binary Rhodopsin Switch in Drosophila Ocelli

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abhishek Kumar Mishra ◽  
Cornelia Fritsch ◽  
Roumen Voutev ◽  
Richard S. Mann ◽  
Simon G. Sprecher
Keyword(s):  
Motion Detection ◽  
Compound Eye ◽  
Polarized Light ◽  
Fruit Fly ◽  
Compound Eyes ◽  
Light Perception ◽  
Ancestral Gene ◽  
Evolutionary Diversification ◽  
Opsin Genes ◽  
A Cell

Visual perception of the environment is mediated by specialized photoreceptor (PR) neurons of the eye. Each PR expresses photosensitive opsins, which are activated by a particular wavelength of light. In most insects, the visual system comprises a pair of compound eyes that are mainly associated with motion detection, color or polarized light perception and a triplet of ocelli that are thought to be critical during flight to detect horizon and movements. It is widely believed that evolutionary diversification of compound eye and ocelli in insects occurred from an ancestral visual organ around 500 million years ago. Concurrently, opsin genes were also duplicated to provide distinct spectral sensitivities to different PRs of compound eye and ocelli. In the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster, Rhodopsin1 (Rh1) and Rh2 are closely related opsins that are originated from the duplication of a single ancestral gene. However, in the visual organs, Rh2 is uniquely expressed in ocelli whereas Rh1 is uniquely expressed in outer PRs of the compound eye. It is currently unknown how this differential expression of Rh1 and Rh2 in the two visual organs is controlled to provide unique spectral sensitivities to ocelli and compound eyes. Here, we show that Homothorax (Hth) is expressed in ocelli and confers proper rhodopsin expression. We find that Hth controls a binary rhodopsin switch in ocelli to promote Rh2 expression and repress Rh1 expression. Genetic and molecular analysis of rh1 and rh2 supports that Hth acts through their promoters to regulate rhodopsin expression in the ocelli. Finally, we also show that when ectopically expressed in the retina, hth is sufficient to induce Rh2 expression only at the outer PRs in a cell autonomous manner. We therefore propose that the diversification of rhodpsins in the ocelli and retinal outer PRs occurred by duplication of an ancestral gene, which is under the control of Homothorax.

scholarly journals A Biomimetic Model of Adaptive Contrast Vision Enhancement from Mantis Shrimp

Sensors ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (16) ◽  
pp. 4588
Author(s):  
Binbin Zhong ◽  
Xin Wang ◽  
Xin Gan ◽  
Tian Yang ◽  
Jun Gao
Keyword(s):  
Compound Eye ◽  
Polarized Light ◽  
Field Of View ◽  
Mantis Shrimp ◽  
Adjustment Mechanism ◽  
Pixel Array ◽  
Visual Tasks ◽  
Contrast Vision ◽  
Image Enhance ◽  
Point To Point

Mantis shrimp have complex visual sensors, and thus, they have both color vision and polarization vision, and are adept at using polarization information for visual tasks, such as finding prey. In addition, mantis shrimp, almost unique among animals, can perform three-axis eye movements, such as pitch, yaw, and roll. With this behavior, polarization contrast in their field of view can be adjusted in real time. Inspired by this, we propose a bionic model that can adaptively enhance contrast vision. In this model, a pixel array is used to simulate a compound eye array, and the angle of polarization (AoP) is used as an adjustment mechanism. The polarization information is pre-processed by adjusting the direction of the photosensitive axis point-to-point. Experiments were performed around scenes where the color of the target and the background were similar, or the visibility of the target was low. The influence of the pre-processing model on traditional feature components of polarized light was analyzed. The results show that the model can effectively improve the contrast between the object and the background in the AoP image, enhance the significance of the object, and have important research significance for applications, such as contrast-based object detection.

scholarly journals Polarized light information modulates sensorimotor decision making in goldfish

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Santiago Otero Coronel ◽  
Martín Berón de Astrada ◽  
Violeta Medan
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Polarized Light ◽  
Polarization Sensitivity ◽  
Polarization Angle ◽  
Threat Detection ◽  
Low Contrast ◽  
Low Intensity ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Visual Tasks ◽  
Intensity Contrast

AbstractAnimal survival relays on environmental information gathered by their sensory systems. In invertebrates the polarization angle of light is known to provide vital information for a wide range of visual tasks. However, the role of polarization sensitivity in vertebrates remains poorly understood. Here we study if polarization vision enhances threat detection in goldfish. We found that adding a polarization cue to a low intensity contrast looming stimulus biases the type of evasive behavior the animals perform. While low contrast looms mostly evoke subtle alarm reactions, the addition of a polarized cue dramatically increases the probability of eliciting a fast escape maneuver, the C-start response. Goldfish can be startled by polarized light stimuli coming not only from above but also from the sides indicating that polarization sensitivity spans large areas of the retina. In addition, we observed that while low intensity contrast looms preferentially elicit alarm behaviours, high intensity contrast looms rarely induced them, but elicited C-start responses with a high probability. Together, our results show that the addition of a polarized light cue to a low intensity contrast stimulus shifts animal’s decision making from low threshold alarm responses to the higher threshold C-start escape behaviour. This additional visual cue, thus, might aid underwater threat detection and predator avoidance in the animal’s natural environment.Summary statementThis study gives the first compelling evidence that fish can use polarized light information to improve their decision making in the context of visual threat detection.

Stomatopod Vision

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas W. Cronin ◽  
N. Justin Marshall ◽  
Roy L. Caldwell
Keyword(s):  
Compound Eye ◽  
Visual Fields ◽  
Polarized Light ◽  
Image Features ◽  
Compound Eyes ◽  
Circularly Polarized Light ◽  
Circularly Polarized ◽  
Mantis Shrimp ◽  
Single Compound ◽  
Unique Capability

The predatory stomatopod crustaceans, or mantis shrimp, are among the most attractive and dynamic creatures living in the sea. Their special features include their powerful raptorial appendages, used to kill, stun, or disable other animals (whether predators, prey, or competitors), and their highly specialized compound eyes. Mantis shrimp vision is unlike that of any other animal and has several unique features. Their compound eyes are optically triple, each having three separate regions that produce overlapping visual fields viewing certain regions of space. They have the most diverse set of spectral classes of receptors ever described in animals, with as many as 16 types in a single compound eye. These receptors are based on a highly duplicated set of opsin molecules paired with strongly absorbing photostable filters in some photoreceptor types. The receptor set includes six ultraviolet types, all spectrally distinct, many themselves tuned by photostable filters. There are as many as eight types of polarization receptors of up to three spectral classes (including an ultraviolet class). In some species, two sets of these receptors analyze circularly polarized light, another unique capability. Stomatopod eyes move independently, each capable of visual field stabilization, image foveation and tracking, or scanning of image features. Stomatopods are known to recognize colors and polarization features and evidently use these in predation and communication. Altogether, mantis shrimps have perhaps the most unusual vision of any animal.

scholarly journals Investigating mechanisms of polarized light sensitivity in the small white butterfly Pieris rapae

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adam J. Blake ◽  
Gina S. Hahn ◽  
Hayley Grey ◽  
Shelby Kwok ◽  
Deby McIntosh ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Visual System ◽  
Linear Polarization ◽  
Host Plants ◽  
Pieris Rapae ◽  
Polarized Light ◽  
Behavioral Responses ◽  
Color Difference ◽  
Light Sensitivity ◽  
Polarization Sensitivity ◽  
Compound Eyes

AbstractThere is an ever increasing number of arthropod taxa shown to have polarization sensitivity throughout their compound eyes. However, the mechanisms underlying arthropod perception of polarized reflections from objects such as plants are not well understood. The small white butterfly, Pieris rapae, has been demonstrated to exploit foliar polarized reflections, specifically the degree of linear polarization (DoLP), to recognize host plants. The well-described visual system of P. rapae includes several photoreceptor types (red, green, blue) that are sensitive to polarized light. Yet, the mechanism underlying the behavioral responses of P. rapae to stimuli with different DoLPs remains unknown. To investigate potential mechanisms, we designed several two-choice behavioral bioassays, displaying plant images on paired LCD monitors which allowed for independent control of polarization, color and intensity. We found that shifts in image intensity had a similar effect on P. rapae preferences for stimuli dissimilar in DoLP and dissimilar in color, suggesting DoLP differences are perceived as color. When a DoLP choice was offered between plant images manipulated in a manner to minimizing the response of blue, red, or blue and red photoreceptors, P. rapae shifted its preference for DoLP, suggesting a role for red, green and blue polarization-sensitive photoreceptors. Modeling of P. rapae photoreceptor responses to test stimuli suggests that differential DoLP is not perceived solely as a color difference. Our combined results suggest that P. rapae females process and interpret polarization reflections in a way different from that described for other polarization-sensitive taxa.

Computer Reconstruction of the Cellular Architecture of the Daphnia Magna Optic Ganglion

1975 ◽  
Vol 33 ◽  
pp. 284-285
Author(s):  
E. R. Macagno ◽  
C. Levinthal
Keyword(s):  
Daphnia Magna ◽  
Genetic Background ◽  
Compound Eye ◽  
Synaptic Connectivity ◽  
Serial Sections ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Small Crustacean ◽  
Optic Ganglion ◽  
Structural Invariance ◽  
High Degree

The optic ganglion of Daphnia Magna, a small crustacean that reproduces parthenogenetically contains about three hundred neurons: 110 neurons in the Lamina or anterior region and about 190 neurons in the Medulla or posterior region. The ganglion lies in the midplane of the organism and shows a high degree of left-right symmetry in its structures. The Lamina neurons form the first projection of the visual output from 176 retinula cells in the compound eye. In order to answer questions about structural invariance under constant genetic background, we have begun to reconstruct in detail the morphology and synaptic connectivity of various neurons in this ganglion from electron micrographs of serial sections (1). The ganglion is sectioned in a dorso-ventra1 direction so as to minimize the cross-sectional area photographed in each section. This area is about 60 μm x 120 μm, and hence most of the ganglion fit in a single 70 mm micrograph at the lowest magnification (685x) available on our Zeiss EM9-S.

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