The colour-vision system of these crustaceans includes four types of UV photoreceptor.
Abstract
Humans cannot see ultraviolet light, but many arthropods and vertebrates can because they have a single photo-receptor with a peak sensitivity to light at wavelengths of around 350 nanometres (ref. 1). Here we use electrophysiological methods to investigate the vision of the mantis shrimp, Neogonodactylus oerstedii. We find that this marine crustacean has at least four types of photoreceptor for ultraviolet light that are located in cells of the eye known as R8 cells. These photoreceptors are maximally sensitive to light of wavelengths 315, 330, 340 and 380 nm. Together with previous evidence2, this finding indicates that the remarkable colour-vision system in these stomatopod crustaceans may be unique, as befits their habitat of kaleidoscopically colourful tropical coral reefs.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 51 print issues and online access
$199.00 per year
only $3.90 per issue
Buy this article
- Purchase on Springer Link
- Instant access to full article PDF
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Tovee, M. J. Trends Ecol. Evol. 10, 455–460 (1995).
Cronin, T. W. & Marshall, N. J. Nature 339, 137–140 (1989).
Smith, R. C. & Baker, K. S. Appl. Optics 20, 177–184 (1981).
Marshall, N. J. Nature 333, 557–560 ( 1988).
Marshall, N. J. et al. Phil. Trans. R. Soc. Lond. B 334, 33 –56 (1991).
Cronin, T. W. et al. Vision Res. 34, 2639– 2656 (1994).
Hart, N. S., Partridge, J. C. & Cuthill, I. C. J. Exp. Biol. 201, 1433– 1446 (1998).
Hardie, R. C. Trends Neurosci. 9, 419–423 (1986).
Arikawa, K. et al. Vision Res. 39, 1– 8 (1999).
Cronin, T. W. & Marshall, N. J. J. Comp. Physiol. A 166, 261–275 (1989).
Neumeyer, C. in Vision and Visual Dysfunction: Evolution of the Eye and Visual System Vol. 2 (eds Cronly-Dillon, J. R. & Gregory, R. L.) 284– 305 (Macmillan, London, 1991).
Osorio, D., Marshall, N. J. & Cronin, T. W. Vision Res. 37, 3299– 3309 (1997).
Caldwell, R. L. & Dingle, H. Sci. Am. 234, 80–89 (1976).
Marshall, N. J., Jones, J. P. & Cronin, T. W. J. Comp. Physiol. A 179, 473 –481 (1996).
Vorobyev, M., Osorio, D., Bennett, A. T. D. & Cuthill, I. C. J. Comp. Physiol. A 183, 621–633 (1998).
Seliger, H. H., Lall, A. B. & Biggley, W. H. J. Comp. Physiol. A 175, 475 –486 (1994).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Marshall, J., Oberwinkler, J. The colourful world of the mantis shrimp . Nature 401, 873–874 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1038/44751
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/44751
This article is cited by
-
Einstein, von Frisch and the honeybee: a historical letter comes to light
Journal of Comparative Physiology A (2021)
-
Inference in artificial intelligence with deep optics and photonics
Nature (2020)
-
Optic lobe organization in stomatopod crustacean species possessing different degrees of retinal complexity
Journal of Comparative Physiology A (2020)
-
Cerebral photoreception in mantis shrimp
Scientific Reports (2018)
-
Evolution of the circuitry for conscious color vision in primates
Eye (2017)
Comments
By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.