Abstract
AMPHIBIOUS vision for all animals with curved corneas requires an exceptional range of focusing ability. Whereas the cornea in air focuses light like a strong positive lens, under water it becomes a very weak positive lens because it has approximately the same refractive index as water. Thus, land animals become hypermetropic (far-sighted) in water and aquatic animals become myopic (near-sighted) in air. In some fish, this gain or loss of lens power amounts to as much as 20 to 30 dioptres1.
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Author information
Affiliations
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, Massachusetts.
- EDWARD R. BAYLOR
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