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Sensory adaptation

Tunable colour vision in a mantis shrimp

Nature 411, 547–548 (31 May 2001) | Download Citation

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Abstract

Systems of colour vision are normally identical in all members of a species, but a single design may not be adequate for species living in a diverse range of light environments. Here we show that in the mantis shrimp Haptosquilla trispinosa, which occupies a range of depths in the ocean, long-wavelength colour receptors are individually tuned to the local light environment. The spectral sensitivity of specific classes of photoreceptor is adjusted by filters that vary between individuals.

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Author information

Affiliations

  1. *Department of Biological Sciences, University of Maryland Baltimore County, Baltimore, Maryland 21250, USA

    • Thomas W. Cronin

  2. †Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720, USA

    • Roy L. Caldwell

  3. ‡Vision, Touch and Hearing Research Centre, University of Queensland, Brisbane 4072, Australia

    • Justin Marshall

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Correspondence to Thomas W. Cronin.

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DOI

https://doi.org/10.1038/35079184

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