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Vision

What is a naked retina good for?

Nature volume 420, pages 30–31 (2002)Cite this article

The crab Bythograea thermydron has eyes that consist of large naked retinas. Studies of the crab's larval forms suggest that these eyes are a specific adaptation to the dim environment of oceanic volcanic vents.

Along the mid-ocean ridges of the Atlantic and Pacific are volcanic vents from which water emerges at temperatures of up to 350 °C, more than three times the boiling point at the surface. This heat, and the minerals that emerge with the water, supports a diverse fauna, including a number of crustaceans with very unusual eyes. On page 68 of this issue, Jinks and colleagues1 take our understanding of these optical systems further, and their results provide clues to the light environment around vents.

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Figure 1

UNIV. DELAWARE COLLEGE MARINE STUDIES

References

  1. Jinks, R. N. et al. Nature 420, 68–70 (2002).

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  2. Van Dover, C. L., Szuts, E. Z., Chamberlain, S. C. & Cann, J. R. Nature 337, 458–460 (1989).

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  3. White, S. N., Chave, A. D. & Reynolds, G. T. J. Geophys. Res. 107, 1–13 (2002).

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  4. Land, M. & Nilsson, D.-E Animal Eyes (Oxford Univ. Press, 2002).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Sussex Centre for Neuroscience, School of Biological Sciences, University of Sussex, Brighton, BN1 9QG, UK

    Michael F. Land

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  1. Michael F. Land
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Correspondence to Michael F. Land.

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Land, M. What is a naked retina good for?. Nature 420, 30–31 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1038/420030a

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