The basis of polychromatic ultraviolet vision in mantis shrimp

Abstract

Event Abstract Back to Event The basis of polychromatic ultraviolet vision in mantis shrimp Michael J. Bok1*, Megan L. Porter1 and Thomas W. Cronin1 1 University of Maryland, Baltimore County, United States Stomatopod crustaceans, or mantis shrimp, possess some of the most notable visual systems known to biology. Their visual ecology has been characterized in great detail, showing that many species of this order are capable of advanced color and polarization discrimination. The photoreceptors of stomatopod compound eyes are maximally sensitive to at least sixteen separate wavelengths of light in the human visible range, from 400 to 700 nm. Stomatopod photoreceptors have also been shown to be maximally sensitive to at least five discrete wavelengths of ultraviolet (UV) light, between 310 and 380 nm, as well as orthogonal polarization angles of UV light. Little is known about the visual pigments and spectral tuning mechanisms at work in these UV-sensitive photoreceptors, or their implication to the visual ecology of mantis shrimp. Here I report on molecular investigations of short wavelength-sensitive opsin transcripts in the retina of Neogonodactylus oerstedii, and spectroscopic measurements from the optical components of the eye. These findings suggest that multiple UV-absorbing visual pigments and novel UV optical filters are responsible for the surprising diversity of spectral sensitivities observed in stomatopod UV photoreceptors. Furthermore, comparative analysis of these spectral tuning components alongside preliminary behavioral experiments may indicate a diversity of UV photoreceptor spectral arrays, and UV visual capabilities, across different species of stomatopods. Keywords: Eye, Filters, Mantis Shrimp, Opsin, optics, Stomatopod, Ultraviolet, Vision Conference: Tenth International Congress of Neuroethology, College Park. Maryland USA, United States, 5 Aug - 10 Aug, 2012. Presentation Type: Poster (but consider for participant symposium and student poster award) Topic: Sensory: Vision Citation: Bok MJ, Porter ML and Cronin TW (2012). The basis of polychromatic ultraviolet vision in mantis shrimp. Conference Abstract: Tenth International Congress of Neuroethology. doi: 10.3389/conf.fnbeh.2012.27.00373 Copyright: The abstracts in this collection have not been subject to any Frontiers peer review or checks, and are not endorsed by Frontiers. They are made available through the Frontiers publishing platform as a service to conference organizers and presenters. The copyright in the individual abstracts is owned by the author of each abstract or his/her employer unless otherwise stated. Each abstract, as well as the collection of abstracts, are published under a Creative Commons CC-BY 4.0 (attribution) licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) and may thus be reproduced, translated, adapted and be the subject of derivative works provided the authors and Frontiers are attributed. For Frontiers’ terms and conditions please see https://www.frontiersin.org/legal/terms-and-conditions. Received: 01 May 2012; Published Online: 07 Jul 2012. * Correspondence: Mr. Michael J Bok, University of Maryland, Baltimore County, Baltimore, United States, mikebok@gmail.com Login Required This action requires you to be registered with Frontiers and logged in. To register or login click here. Abstract Info Abstract The Authors in Frontiers Michael J Bok Megan L Porter Thomas W Cronin Google Michael J Bok Megan L Porter Thomas W Cronin Google Scholar Michael J Bok Megan L Porter Thomas W Cronin PubMed Michael J Bok Megan L Porter Thomas W Cronin Related Article in Frontiers Google Scholar PubMed Abstract Close Back to top Javascript is disabled. Please enable Javascript in your browser settings in order to see all the content on this page.