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Sinu PA, Jose A, Varma S. Impact of the annular solar eclipse on December 26, 2019 on the foraging visits of bees. Sci Rep 2024; 14:17458. [PMID: 39075087 PMCID: PMC11286736 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-67708-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2024] [Accepted: 07/15/2024] [Indexed: 07/31/2024] Open
Abstract
Solar eclipse has remarkable effect on behavior of animals. South India experienced a 97% magnitude annular eclipse on December 26, 2019 during 08:04-11:04 h with the totality phase appeared during 09:25-09:30 h. We investigated whether the foraging activity of the bees was limited by the eclipse, what bees are affected most, and which part of the eclipse was critical for bee activities to understand how a group of insects that rely the Sun, the sunlight, and the sun rays for their navigation and vision behaves to the eclipse. We opted to watch the bees in their foraging ground, and selected the natural flower populations of Cleome rutidosperma, Hygrophila schulli, Mimosa pudica, and Urena sinuata-some of the bee-friendly plants-to record the visitor richness and visitation rate on the flowers on eclipse and non-eclipse days and during the hour of totality phase and partial phase of the eclipse. Fewer flower-visiting species were recorded on the eclipse day than on the non-eclipse days, but in the period of totality, very few bee species were active, and limited their activity to only one population of C. rutidosperma. Visits of honey bees and stingless bees were affected most, but not that badly of solitary bees and carpenter bees. Bees, particularly the social bees use Sun for navigation and deciphering information on forage sources to fellow workers. The eclipse, like for many other animals, might hamper bees' orientation, vision, and flight.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Athira Jose
- Central University of Kerala, Periya, Kerala, 671 316, India
| | - Sangeetha Varma
- Central University of Kerala, Periya, Kerala, 671 316, India
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2
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Wright DS, Rodriguez-Fuentes J, Ammer L, Darragh K, Kuo CY, McMillan WO, Jiggins CD, Montgomery SH, Merrill RM. Selection drives divergence of eye morphology in sympatric Heliconius butterflies. Evolution 2024; 78:1338-1346. [PMID: 38736286 PMCID: PMC7616201 DOI: 10.1093/evolut/qpae073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2023] [Revised: 05/02/2024] [Accepted: 05/10/2024] [Indexed: 05/14/2024]
Abstract
When populations experience different sensory conditions, natural selection may favor sensory system divergence, affecting peripheral structures and/or downstream neural pathways. We characterized the outer eye morphology of sympatric Heliconius butterflies from different forest types and their first-generation reciprocal hybrids to test for adaptive visual system divergence and hybrid disruption. In Panama, Heliconius cydno occurs in closed forests, whereas Heliconius melpomene resides at the forest edge. Among wild individuals, H. cydno has larger eyes than H. melpomene, and there are heritable, habitat-associated differences in the visual brain structures that exceed neutral divergence expectations. Notably, hybrids have intermediate neural phenotypes, suggesting disruption. To test for similar effects in the visual periphery, we reared both species and their hybrids in common garden conditions. We confirm that H. cydno has larger eyes and provide new evidence that this is driven by selection. Hybrid eye morphology is more H. melpomene-like despite body size being intermediate, contrasting with neural trait intermediacy. Overall, our results suggest that eye morphology differences between H. cydno and H. melpomene are adaptive and that hybrids may suffer fitness costs due to a mismatch between the peripheral visual structures and previously described neural traits that could affect visual performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Shane Wright
- Division of Evolutionary Biology, Faculty of Biology, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Juliana Rodriguez-Fuentes
- Division of Evolutionary Biology, Faculty of Biology, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Lisa Ammer
- Division of Evolutionary Biology, Faculty of Biology, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Kathy Darragh
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Gamboa, Panama
| | - Chi-Yun Kuo
- Division of Evolutionary Biology, Faculty of Biology, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | | | - Chris D Jiggins
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Gamboa, Panama
| | - Stephen H Montgomery
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Gamboa, Panama
- School of Biological Science, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - Richard M Merrill
- Division of Evolutionary Biology, Faculty of Biology, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, Munich, Germany
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Gamboa, Panama
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3
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Kuang Y, Wang L. Diurnal predators in dim light: the ability of mantids to prey for supper. ENVIRONMENTAL ENTOMOLOGY 2024; 53:347-353. [PMID: 38691060 DOI: 10.1093/ee/nvae036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2024] [Revised: 03/29/2024] [Accepted: 04/15/2024] [Indexed: 05/03/2024]
Abstract
Many insects rely heavily on visual cues in foraging and other life activities. Mantids are insect predators that usually ambush prey. The sophisticated visual system of mantids allows them to spot, track, and strike at prey with high accuracy. Mantids are categorized as diurnal animals in most cases, while our field observations suggested that they were active in foraging both day and night. Therefore, we hypothesize that predation in dim light is possible for mantids, while mantids are unable to capture prey in complete darkness. In this study, we experimentally examined whether different light conditions could affect the predation success and efficiency of mantid nymphs and adults, Hierodula chinensis Werner (Mantodea: Mantidae), through behavioral observations. Individual mantids were placed in individual chambers in complete darkness, simulated moonlight (0.1 lux), or simulated dusk (50 lux) conditions and were allowed to forage for prey items for 10 min. Our observations showed no evidence that H. chinensis could capture any prey in complete deprivation of light. The proportion of nymphs with successful predation in simulated moonlight was 50% higher than that in complete darkness and 45.83% lower than that in simulated dusk. The proportion of adults with successful predation in simulated moonlight was 42.11% higher than that in complete darkness and 57.89% lower than that in simulated dusk. Overall, the results provide new insights into the behavioral ecology of diurnal predators at night, with potential association with moonlight, starlight, and light pollution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuan Kuang
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Agro-Environment and Agric-Product Safety, College of Agriculture, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China
- National Demonstration Center for Experimental Plant Science Education, College of Agriculture, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China
| | - Leyun Wang
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Agro-Environment and Agric-Product Safety, College of Agriculture, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China
- National Demonstration Center for Experimental Plant Science Education, College of Agriculture, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China
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4
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Tang YH, Bi SY, Wang XD, Ji SX, Huang C, Zhang GF, Guo JY, Yang NW, Ma DF, Wan FH, Lü ZC, Liu WX. Opsin mutants alter host plant selection by color vision in the nocturnal invasive pest Tuta absoluta. Int J Biol Macromol 2024; 265:130636. [PMID: 38467214 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.130636] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2023] [Revised: 02/21/2024] [Accepted: 03/03/2024] [Indexed: 03/13/2024]
Abstract
In insects, vision is crucial in finding host plants, but its role in nocturnal insects is largely unknown. Vision involves responses to specific spectra of photon wavelengths and opsins plays an important role in this process. Long-wavelength sensitive opsin (LW opsin) and blue-sensitive opsin (BL opsin) are main visual opsin proteins and play important in behavior regulation.We used CRISPR/Cas9 technology to mutate the long-wavelength-sensitive and blue wavelength-sensitive genes and explored the role of vision in the nocturnal invasive pest Tuta absoluta. Light wave experiments revealed that LW2(-/-) and BL(-/-) mutants showed abnormal wavelength tropism. Both LW2 and BL mutations affected the preference of T. absoluta for the green environment. Mutations in LW2 and BL are necessary to inhibit visual attraction. The elimination of LW2 and BL affected the preference of leaf moths for green plants, and mutations in both induced a preference in moths for white plants. Behavioral changes resulting from LW2(-/-) and BL(-/-) mutants were not affected by sense of smell, further supporting the regulatory role of vision in insect behavior. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to reveal that vision, not smell, plays an important role in the host-seeking behavior of nocturnal insects at night, of which LW2 and BL opsins are key regulatory factors. These study findings will drive the development of the "vision-ecology" theory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan-Hong Tang
- State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, China; Engineering Research Center of Ecology and Agricultural Use of Wetland, Ministry of Education, Hubei Collaborative Innovation Center for Grain Industry, College of Agriculture, Yangtze University, Jingzhou 434025, China
| | - Si-Yan Bi
- State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Xiao-Di Wang
- State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Shun-Xia Ji
- State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Cong Huang
- State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Gui-Fen Zhang
- State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Jian-Yang Guo
- State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Nian-Wan Yang
- State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, China; Western Agricultural Research Center, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changji 831100, China
| | - Dong-Fang Ma
- Engineering Research Center of Ecology and Agricultural Use of Wetland, Ministry of Education, Hubei Collaborative Innovation Center for Grain Industry, College of Agriculture, Yangtze University, Jingzhou 434025, China
| | - Fang-Hao Wan
- State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Zhi-Chuang Lü
- State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, China.
| | - Wan-Xue Liu
- State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, China
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Warrant EJ. A formative journal for a formative career: a personal recollection of how JCPA has inspired and guided my research life. J Comp Physiol A Neuroethol Sens Neural Behav Physiol 2024; 210:203-210. [PMID: 38082048 PMCID: PMC10994867 DOI: 10.1007/s00359-023-01683-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2023] [Revised: 11/11/2023] [Accepted: 11/14/2023] [Indexed: 04/05/2024]
Abstract
A fateful decision as a 15-year-old high school student, and good advice from a distinguished professor of zoology, were the catalysts that not only decided my entire career but also led me to the Journal of Comparative Physiology A, and to the myriad biological wonders that were held within its covers. In my celebration of JCPA, I look back on the formative years of my career in Australia, and the crucial role that the journal played in shaping my emerging research interests, and ultimately my entire life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric J Warrant
- Lund Vision Group, Department of Biology, University of Lund, Sölvegatan 35, 22362, Lund, Sweden.
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6
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Seymoure B, Dell A, Hölker F, Kalinkat G. A framework for untangling the consequences of artificial light at night on species interactions. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2023; 378:20220356. [PMID: 37899016 PMCID: PMC10613547 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2022.0356] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2023] [Accepted: 09/08/2023] [Indexed: 10/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Although much evidence exists showing organismal consequences from artificial light at night (ALAN), large knowledge gaps remain regarding ALAN affecting species interactions. Species interactions occur via shared spatio-temporal niches among species, which may be determined by natural light levels. We review how ALAN is altering these spatio-temporal niches through expanding twilight or full Moon conditions and constricting nocturnal conditions as well as creating patches of bright and dark. We review literature from a database to determine if ALAN is affecting species interactions via spatio-temporal dynamics. The literature indicates a growing interest in ALAN and species interactions: 58% of the studies we analysed have been published since 2020. Seventy-five of 79 studies found ALAN altered species interactions. Enhancements and reductions of species interactions were equally documented. Many studies revealed ALAN affecting species interactions spatially, but few revealed temporal alterations. There are biases regarding species interactions and ALAN-most studies investigated predator-prey interactions with vertebrates as predators and invertebrates as prey. Following this literature review, we suggest avenues, such as remote sensing and animal tracking, that can guide future research on the consequences of ALAN on species interactions across spatial and temporal axes. This article is part of the theme issue 'Light pollution in complex ecological systems'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brett Seymoure
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX 79968, USA
| | - Anthony Dell
- National Great Rivers Research and Education Center, Alton, IL 62024, USA
- Department of Biology, WashingtonUniversity in St Louis, St Louis, MO 63130, USA
| | - Franz Hölker
- Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB), 14195 Berlin, Germany
- Institute of Biology, Freie Universität Berlin, 12587 Berlin, Germany
| | - Gregor Kalinkat
- Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB), 14195 Berlin, Germany
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7
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Hölker F, Jechow A, Schroer S, Tockner K, Gessner MO. Light pollution of freshwater ecosystems: principles, ecological impacts and remedies. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2023; 378:20220360. [PMID: 37899012 PMCID: PMC10613548 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2022.0360] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2023] [Accepted: 08/01/2023] [Indexed: 10/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Light pollution caused by artificial light at night (ALAN) is increasingly recognized as a major driver of global environmental change. Since emissions are rapidly growing in an urbanizing world and half of the human population lives close to a freshwater shoreline, rivers and lakes are ever more exposed to light pollution worldwide. However, although light conditions are critical to aquatic species, and freshwaters are biodiversity hotspots and vital to human well-being, only a small fraction of studies conducted on ALAN focus on these ecosystems. The effects of light pollution on freshwaters are broad and concern all levels of biodiversity. Experiments have demonstrated diverse behavioural and physiological responses of species, even at low light levels. Prominent examples are skyglow effects on diel vertical migration of zooplankton and the suppression of melatonin production in fish. However, responses vary widely among taxa, suggesting consequences for species distribution patterns, potential to create novel communities across ecosystem boundaries, and cascading effects on ecosystem functioning. Understanding, predicting and alleviating the ecological impacts of light pollution on freshwaters requires a solid consideration of the physical properties of light propagating in water and a multitude of biological responses. This knowledge is urgently needed to develop innovative lighting concepts, mitigation strategies and specifically targeted measures. This article is part of the theme issue 'Light pollution in complex ecological systems'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Franz Hölker
- Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB), 12587 Berlin and 16775 Stechlin, Germany
- Institute of Biology, Freie Universität Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Andreas Jechow
- Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB), 12587 Berlin and 16775 Stechlin, Germany
| | - Sibylle Schroer
- Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB), 12587 Berlin and 16775 Stechlin, Germany
| | - Klement Tockner
- Senckenberg Society for Nature Research, 60325 Frankfurt Germany
- Department of BioSciences, Goethe-University, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Mark O. Gessner
- Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB), 12587 Berlin and 16775 Stechlin, Germany
- Department of Ecology, Berlin Institute of Technology, 10587 Berlin, Germany
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8
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Wright DS, Manel AN, Guachamin-Rosero M, Chamba-Vaca P, Bacquet CN, Merrill RM. Quantifying visual acuity in Heliconius butterflies. Biol Lett 2023; 19:20230476. [PMID: 38087940 PMCID: PMC10716659 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2023.0476] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2023] [Accepted: 11/23/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Heliconius butterflies are well-known for their colourful wing patterns, which advertise distastefulness to potential predators and are used during mate choice. However, the relative importance of different aspects of these signals will depend on the visual abilities of Heliconius and their predators. Previous studies have investigated colour sensitivity and neural anatomy, but visual acuity (the ability to perceive detail) has not been studied in these butterflies. Here, we provide the first estimate of visual acuity in Heliconius: from a behavioural optomotor assay, we found that mean visual acuity = 0.49 cycles-per-degree (cpd), with higher acuity in males than females. We also examined eye morphology and report more ommatidia in male eyes. Finally, we estimated how visual acuity affects Heliconius visual perception compared to a potential avian predator. Whereas the bird predator maintained high resolving power, Heliconius lost the ability to resolve detail at greater distances, though colours may remain salient. These results will inform future studies of Heliconius wing pattern evolution, as well as other aspects in these highly visual butterflies, which have emerged as an important system in studies of adaptation and speciation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Shane Wright
- Division of Evolutionary Biology, Faculty of Biology, LMU Munich, Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
| | - Anupama Nayak Manel
- Division of Evolutionary Biology, Faculty of Biology, LMU Munich, Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
| | - Michelle Guachamin-Rosero
- Division of Evolutionary Biology, Faculty of Biology, LMU Munich, Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
- Universidad Regional Amazónica IKIAM, Tena, Ecuador
| | - Pamela Chamba-Vaca
- Division of Evolutionary Biology, Faculty of Biology, LMU Munich, Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
- Universidad Regional Amazónica IKIAM, Tena, Ecuador
| | | | - Richard M. Merrill
- Division of Evolutionary Biology, Faculty of Biology, LMU Munich, Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
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9
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Buchinger TJ, Li W. Chemical communication and its role in sexual selection across Animalia. Commun Biol 2023; 6:1178. [PMID: 37985853 PMCID: PMC10662023 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-05572-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2023] [Accepted: 11/10/2023] [Indexed: 11/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Sexual selection has been studied as a major evolutionary driver of animal diversity for roughly 50 years. Much evidence indicates that competition for mates favors elaborate signaling traits. However, this evidence comes primarily from a few taxa, leaving sexual selection as a salient evolutionary force across Animalia largely untested. Here, we reviewed the evidence for sexual selection on communication across all animal phyla, classes, and orders with emphasis on chemoreception, the only sense shared across lifeforms. An exhaustive literature review documented evidence for sexual selection on chemosensory traits in 10 of 34 animal phyla and indications of sexual selection on chemosensory traits in an additional 13 phyla. Potential targets of sexual selection include structures and processes involved in production, delivery, and detection of chemical signals. Our review suggests sexual selection plays a widespread role in the evolution of communication and highlights the need for research that better reflects animal diversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tyler J Buchinger
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA.
- Biology Department, Albion College, Albion, MI, USA.
| | - Weiming Li
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
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Liénard MA. Sensory evolution: A dazzling hack to cope with bright light in owls and whales. Curr Biol 2023; 33:R1200-R1202. [PMID: 37989100 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.10.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2023]
Abstract
When exposed to sudden changes in light intensity, rod-dominated retinas of animals with highly sensitive dim-vision risk critical damage. A new study finds that owls and deep-diving whales have evolved an identical photoprotection mechanism to delay toxic all-trans retinal release, a discovery with potential medical implications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marjorie A Liénard
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Sölvegatan 35B, 22362 Lund, Sweden.
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11
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Garm A, Hamilton O, Glenner H, Irwin AR, Mah C. Eyes, Vision, and Bioluminescence in Deep-Sea Brisingid Sea Stars. THE BIOLOGICAL BULLETIN 2023; 245:33-44. [PMID: 38820289 DOI: 10.1086/729983] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/02/2024]
Abstract
AbstractSea stars are a major component of the megabenthos in most marine habitats, including those within the deep sea. Being radially symmetric, sea stars have sensory structures that are evenly distributed along the arms, with a compound eye located on each arm tip of most examined species. Surprisingly, eyes with a spatial resolution that rivals the highest acuity known among sea stars so far were recently found in Novodinia americana, a member of the deep-sea sea star order Brisingida. Here, we examined 21 species across 11 brisingid genera for the presence of eyes; where eyes were present, we used morphological characteristics to evaluate spatial resolution and sensitivity. This study found that eyes were present within 43% of the examined species. These brisingid eyes were relatively large compared to those of other deep-sea sea stars, with a high number of densely packed ommatidia. One of the examined species, Brisingaster robillardi, had more than 600 ommatidia per eye, which is the highest number of ommatidia found in any sea star eye so far. Combined, the results indicate that brisingid eyes are adapted for spatial resolution over sensitivity. Together with results showing that many brisingids are bioluminescent, this relatively high spatial resolution suggests that the group may use their eyes to support visually guided intraspecific communication based on bioluminescent signals. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that the common ancestor of brisingids had eyes (P = 0.72) and that eyes were lost once within the clade.
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12
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Gastineau R, Otis C, Boyle B, Lemieux C, Turmel M, St-Cyr J, Koken M. The mitochondrial genome of the bioluminescent fish Malacosteus niger Ayres, 1848 (Stomiidae, Actinopterygii) is large and complex, and contains an inverted-repeat structure. Zookeys 2023; 1157:177-191. [DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.1157.97921] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2022] [Accepted: 01/17/2023] [Indexed: 04/08/2023] Open
Abstract
We determined the complete mitogenome sequence of the bioluminescent fish Malacosteus niger using long-read sequencing technologies. The 21,263 bp mitogenome features a complex structure with two copies of a 1198-bp inverted-repeat and a region of 2616-bp containing alternating copies of 16 and 26 bp repeat elements. Whole mitogenome phylogenies inferred from both nucleotide and amino-acid datasets place M. niger among Melanostomiinae. The need for additional complete mitogenome sequences from the subfamily Malacosteinae is discussed.
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13
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Fogg LG, Cortesi F, Gache C, Lecchini D, Marshall NJ, de Busserolles F. Developing and adult reef fish show rapid light-induced plasticity in their visual system. Mol Ecol 2023; 32:167-181. [PMID: 36261875 PMCID: PMC10099556 DOI: 10.1111/mec.16744] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2022] [Revised: 10/06/2022] [Accepted: 10/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
The visual capabilities of fish are optimized for their ecology and light environment over evolutionary time. Similarly, fish vision can adapt to regular changes in light conditions within their lifetime, e.g., ontogenetic or seasonal variation. However, we do not fully understand how vision responds to irregular short-term changes in the light environment, e.g., algal blooms and light pollution. In this study, we investigated the effect of short-term exposure to unnatural light conditions on opsin gene expression and retinal cell densities in juvenile and adult diurnal reef fish (convict surgeonfish; Acanthurus triostegus). Results revealed phenotypic plasticity in the retina across ontogeny, particularly during development. The most substantial differences at both molecular and cellular levels were found under constant dim light, while constant bright light and simulated artificial light at night had a lesser effect. Under dim light, juveniles and adults increased absolute expression of the cone opsin genes, sws2a, rh2c and lws, within a few days and juveniles also decreased densities of cones, inner nuclear layer cells and ganglion cells. These changes potentially enhanced vision under the altered light conditions. Thus, our study suggests that plasticity mainly comes into play when conditions are extremely different to the species' natural light environment, i.e., a diurnal fish in "constant night". Finally, in a rescue experiment on adults, shifts in opsin expression were reverted within 24 h. Overall, our study showed rapid, reversible light-induced changes in the retina of A. triostegus, demonstrating phenotypic plasticity in the visual system of a reef fish throughout life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lily G Fogg
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Fabio Cortesi
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Camille Gache
- PSL Research University, EPHE-UPVD-CNRS, UAR3278 CRIOBE, Papetoai, French Polynesia.,Laboratoire d'Excellence "CORAIL", Paris, France
| | - David Lecchini
- PSL Research University, EPHE-UPVD-CNRS, UAR3278 CRIOBE, Papetoai, French Polynesia.,Laboratoire d'Excellence "CORAIL", Paris, France
| | - N Justin Marshall
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Fanny de Busserolles
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
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Cortical adaptation of the night monkey to a nocturnal niche environment: a comparative non-invasive T1w/T2w myelin study. Brain Struct Funct 2022:10.1007/s00429-022-02591-x. [PMID: 36399210 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-022-02591-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2022] [Accepted: 10/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Night monkeys (Aotus) are the only genus of monkeys within the Simian lineage that successfully occupy a nocturnal environmental niche. Their behavior is supported by their sensory organs' distinctive morphological features; however, little is known about their evolutionary adaptations in sensory regions of the cerebral cortex. Here, we investigate this question by exploring the cortical organization of night monkeys using high-resolution in-vivo brain MRI and comparative cortical-surface T1w/T2w myeloarchitectonic mapping. Our results show that the night monkey cerebral cortex has a qualitatively similar but quantitatively different pattern of cortical myelin compared to the diurnal macaque and marmoset monkeys. T1w/T2w myelin and its gradient allowed us to parcellate high myelin areas, including the middle temporal complex (MT +) and auditory cortex, and a low-myelin area, Brodmann area 7 (BA7) in the three species, despite species differences in cortical convolutions. Relative to the total cortical-surface area, those of MT + and the auditory cortex are significantly larger in night monkeys than diurnal monkeys, whereas area BA7 occupies a similar fraction of the cortical sheet in all three species. We propose that the selective expansion of sensory areas dedicated to visual motion and auditory processing in night monkeys may reflect cortical adaptations to a nocturnal environment.
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15
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Zhang S, Leu YC, Chou HH, Liao CP, Piorkowski D, Tso IM. Two coinhabitants visually lure prey to host territory through a shared conspicuous trait. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-022-03249-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
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16
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Abstract
The ability to see colour at night is known only from a handful of animals. First discovered in the elephant hawk moth Deilephila elpenor, nocturnal colour vision is now known from two other species of hawk moths, a single species of carpenter bee, a nocturnal gecko and two species of anurans. The reason for this rarity—particularly in vertebrates—is the immense challenge of achieving a sufficient visual signal-to-noise ratio to support colour discrimination in dim light. Although no less challenging for nocturnal insects, unique optical and neural adaptations permit reliable colour vision and colour constancy even in starlight. Using the well-studied Deilephila elpenor, we describe the visual light environment at night, the visual challenges that this environment imposes and the adaptations that have evolved to overcome them. We also explain the advantages of colour vision for nocturnal insects and its usefulness in discriminating night-opening flowers. Colour vision is probably widespread in nocturnal insects, particularly pollinators, where it is likely crucial for nocturnal pollination. This relatively poorly understood but vital ecosystem service is threatened from increasingly abundant and spectrally abnormal sources of anthropogenic light pollution, which can disrupt colour vision and thus the discrimination and pollination of flowers. This article is part of the theme issue ‘Understanding colour vision: molecular, physiological, neuronal and behavioural studies in arthropods’.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric Warrant
- Department of Biology, University of Lund, Sölvegatan 35, 22362 Lund, Sweden
| | - Hema Somanathan
- School of Biology, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Maruthamala PO, Vithura, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala 695551, India
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17
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Fogg LG, Cortesi F, Lecchini D, Gache C, Marshall NJ, De Busserolles F. Development of dim-light vision in the nocturnal reef fish family Holocentridae II: retinal morphology. J Exp Biol 2022; 225:276223. [PMID: 35929495 PMCID: PMC9482369 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.244740] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2022] [Accepted: 07/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Ontogenetic changes in the habitats and lifestyles of animals are often reflected in their visual systems. Coral reef fishes start life in the shallow open ocean but inhabit the reef as juveniles and adults. Alongside this change in habitat, some species also change lifestyles and become nocturnal. However, it is not fully understood how the visual systems of nocturnal reef fishes develop and adapt to these significant ecological shifts over their lives. Therefore, we used a histological approach to examine visual development in the nocturnal coral reef fish family, Holocentridae. We examined seven representative species spanning both subfamilies, Holocentrinae (squirrelfishes) and Myripristinae (soldierfishes). Pre-settlement larvae showed strong adaptation for photopic vision with high cone densities and had also started to develop a multibank retina (i.e., multiple rod layers), with up to two rod banks present. At reef settlement, holocentrids showed increased investment in their scotopic visual system, with higher rod densities and higher summation of rods onto the ganglion cell layer. By adulthood, they had well-developed scotopic vision with a highly rod-dominated multibank retina comprising 5-17 rod banks and enhanced summation of rods onto the ganglion cell layer. Lastly, the ecological demands of the two subfamilies were similar throughout their lives, yet their visual systems differed after settlement, with Myripristinae showing a more pronounced investment in scotopic vision than Holocentrinae. Thus, it is likely that both ecology and phylogeny contribute to the development of the holocentrid visual system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lily G Fogg
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, 4072, Australia
| | - Fabio Cortesi
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, 4072, Australia
| | - David Lecchini
- PSL Research University, EPHE-UPVD-CNRS, UAR3278 CRIOBE, 98729 Papetoai, Moorea, French Polynesia, France.,Laboratoire d'Excellence "CORAIL", Paris, France
| | - Camille Gache
- PSL Research University, EPHE-UPVD-CNRS, UAR3278 CRIOBE, 98729 Papetoai, Moorea, French Polynesia, France.,Laboratoire d'Excellence "CORAIL", Paris, France
| | - N Justin Marshall
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, 4072, Australia
| | - Fanny De Busserolles
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, 4072, Australia
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18
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Collins WP, Bellwood DR, Morais RA. The role of nocturnal fishes on coral reefs: A quantitative functional evaluation. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e9249. [PMID: 36052298 PMCID: PMC9412246 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.9249] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2022] [Revised: 07/01/2022] [Accepted: 07/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The ecological functions of nocturnal coral reef fishes are poorly known. Yet, nocturnal resources for coral reef consumers are theoretically as abundant and productive, if not more so, than their diurnal counterparts. In this study, we quantify and contrast the energetic dynamics of nocturnal and diurnal fishes in a model coral reef ecosystem, evaluating whether they attain similar levels of biomass production. We integrated a detailed dataset of coral reef fish counts, comprising diurnal and nocturnal species, in sites sheltered and exposed to wave action. We combined somatic growth and mortality models to estimate rates of consumer biomass production, a key ecosystem function. We found that diurnal fish assemblages have a higher biomass than nocturnal fishes: 104% more in sheltered sites and 271% more in exposed sites. Differences in productivity were even more pronounced, with diurnal fishes contributing 163% more productivity in sheltered locations, and 558% more in exposed locations. Apogonidae dominated biomass production within the nocturnal fish assemblage, comprising 54% of total nocturnal fish productivity, which is proportionally more than any diurnal fish family. The substantially lower contributions of nocturnal fishes to biomass and biomass production likely indicate constraints on resource accessibility. Taxa that overcome these constraints may thrive, as evidenced by apogonids. This study highlights the importance of nocturnal fishes in underpinning the flow of energy and nutrients from nocturnal resources to reef communities; a process driven mainly by small, cryptic fishes.
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Affiliation(s)
- William P. Collins
- Research Hub for Coral Reef Ecosystem Functions, College of Science and Engineering and ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies James Cook University Townsville Queensland Australia
| | - David R. Bellwood
- Research Hub for Coral Reef Ecosystem Functions, College of Science and Engineering and ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies James Cook University Townsville Queensland Australia
| | - Renato A. Morais
- Research Hub for Coral Reef Ecosystem Functions, College of Science and Engineering and ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies James Cook University Townsville Queensland Australia
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19
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Keirnan A, Worthy TH, Smaers JB, Mardon K, Iwaniuk AN, Weisbecker V. Not like night and day: the nocturnal letter-winged kite does not differ from diurnal congeners in orbit or endocast morphology. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2022; 9:220135. [PMID: 35620001 PMCID: PMC9128852 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.220135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2022] [Accepted: 04/29/2022] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Nocturnal birds display diverse adaptations of the visual system to low-light conditions. The skulls of birds reflect many of these and are used increasingly to infer nocturnality in extinct species. However, it is unclear how reliable such assessments are, particularly in cases of recent evolutionary transitions to nocturnality. Here, we investigate a case of recently evolved nocturnality in the world's only nocturnal hawk, the letter-winged kite Elanus scriptus. We employed phylogenetically informed analyses of orbit, optic foramen and endocast measurements from three-dimensional reconstructions of micro-computed tomography scanned skulls of the letter-winged kite, two congeners, and 13 other accipitrid and falconid raptors. Contrary to earlier suggestions, the letter-winged kite was not unique in any of our metrics. However, all species of Elanus have significantly higher ratios of orbit versus optic foramen diameter, suggesting high visual sensitivity at the expense of acuity. In addition, visual system morphology varies greatly across accipitrid species, likely reflecting hunting styles. Overall, our results suggest that the transition to nocturnality can occur rapidly and without changes to key hard-tissue indicators of vision, but also that hard-tissue anatomy of the visual system may provide a means of inferring a range of raptor behaviours, well beyond nocturnality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aubrey Keirnan
- College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Trevor H. Worthy
- College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | | | - Karine Mardon
- Centre of Advanced Imaging, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD, Australia
| | - Andrew N. Iwaniuk
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada
| | - Vera Weisbecker
- College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Adelaide, SA, Australia
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20
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Chung WS, Kurniawan ND, Marshall NJ. Comparative brain structure and visual processing in octopus from different habitats. Curr Biol 2021; 32:97-110.e4. [PMID: 34798049 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2021.10.070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2021] [Revised: 09/27/2021] [Accepted: 10/21/2021] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Octopods are masters of camouflage and solve complex tasks, and their cognitive ability is said to approach that of some small mammals. Despite intense interest and some research progress, much of our knowledge of octopus neuroanatomy and its links to behavior and ecology comes from one coastal species, the European common octopus, Octopus vulgaris. Octopod species are found in habitats including complex coral reefs and the relatively featureless mid-water. There they encounter different selection pressures, may be nocturnal or diurnal, and are mostly solitary or partially social. How these different ecologies and behavioral differences influence the octopus central nervous system (CNS) remains largely unknown. Here we present a phylogenetically informed comparison between diurnal and nocturnal coastal and a deep-sea species using brain imaging techniques. This study shows that characteristic neuroanatomical changes are linked to their habits and habitats. Enlargement and division of the optic lobe as well as structural foldings and complexity in the underlying CNS are linked to behavioral adaptation (diurnal versus nocturnal; social versus solitary) and ecological niche (reef versus deep sea), but phylogeny may play a part also. The difference between solitary and social life is mirrored within the brain including the formation of multiple compartments (gyri) in the vertical lobe, which is likened to the vertebrate cortex. These findings continue the case for convergence between cephalopod and vertebrate brain structure and function. Notably, within the current push toward comparisons of cognitive abilities, often with unashamed anthropomorphism at their root, these findings provide a firm grounding from which to work.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen-Sung Chung
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia.
| | - Nyoman D Kurniawan
- Centre for Advanced Imaging, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - N Justin Marshall
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
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21
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Penteriani V, González-Bernardo E, Hartasánchez A, Ruiz-Villar H, Morales-González A, Ordiz A, Bombieri G, Diaz García J, Cañedo D, Bettega C, Delgado MDM. Visual marking in mammals first proved by manipulations of brown bear tree debarking. Sci Rep 2021; 11:9492. [PMID: 33947891 PMCID: PMC8096968 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-88472-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2021] [Accepted: 04/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
The rather limited human ability to understand animal vision and visual signalling has frequently clouded our expectations concerning the visual abilities of other animals. But there are multiple reasons to suspect that visual signalling is more widely employed by animals than previously thought. Because visibility of visual marks depends on the background in which they are seen, species spending most of their time living in dark conditions (e.g., in forests and/or having crepuscular and nocturnal habits) may rely on bright signals to enhance visual display. Here, as a result of experimental manipulations, we present, for the first time ever, evidence supporting the use of a new channel of intraspecific communication by a mammal species, i.e., brown bear Ursus arctos adult males relying on visual marks during mating. Bear reactions to our manipulation suggest that visual signalling could represent a widely overlooked mechanism in mammal communication, which may be more broadly employed than was previously thought.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vincenzo Penteriani
- Research Unit of Biodiversity (UMIB, CSIC-UO-PA), Mieres Campus, 33600, Mieres, Spain.
| | - Enrique González-Bernardo
- Research Unit of Biodiversity (UMIB, CSIC-UO-PA), Mieres Campus, 33600, Mieres, Spain
- Pyrenean Institute of Ecology (IPE), C.S.I.C., Avda. Montañana 1005, 50059, Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Alfonso Hartasánchez
- FAPAS Fondo para la Protección de los Animales Salvajes, Ctra. AS-228, km 8,9 - Tuñón, 33115, Santo Adriano, Asturias, Spain
| | - Héctor Ruiz-Villar
- Research Unit of Biodiversity (UMIB, CSIC-UO-PA), Mieres Campus, 33600, Mieres, Spain
| | - Ana Morales-González
- Department of Conservation Biology, Estación Biológica de Doñana, C.S.I.C, Avda. Americo Vespucio 26, 41092, Sevilla, Spain
| | - Andrés Ordiz
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Postbox 5003, NO-1432, Ås, Norway
| | - Giulia Bombieri
- MUSE - Museo delle Scienze, Sezione Zoologia dei Vertebrati, Corso del Lavoro e della Scienza 3, 38123, Trento, Italy
| | - Juan Diaz García
- Consejería de Ordenación del Territorio, Infraestructuras y Medio Ambiente, Dirección General de Biodiversidad, Oviedo, Principado de Asturias, Spain
| | - David Cañedo
- Consejería de Ordenación del Territorio, Infraestructuras y Medio Ambiente, Dirección General de Biodiversidad, Oviedo, Principado de Asturias, Spain
| | - Chiara Bettega
- Research Unit of Biodiversity (UMIB, CSIC-UO-PA), Mieres Campus, 33600, Mieres, Spain
| | - María Del Mar Delgado
- Research Unit of Biodiversity (UMIB, CSIC-UO-PA), Mieres Campus, 33600, Mieres, Spain
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22
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Fischer S, Laue M, Müller CHG, Meinertzhagen IA, Pohl H. Ultrastructural 3D reconstruction of the smallest known insect photoreceptors: The stemmata of a first instar larva of Strepsiptera (Hexapoda). ARTHROPOD STRUCTURE & DEVELOPMENT 2021; 62:101055. [PMID: 33975098 DOI: 10.1016/j.asd.2021.101055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2020] [Revised: 04/03/2021] [Accepted: 04/06/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Stemmata of strepsipteran insects represent the smallest arthropod eyes known, having photoreceptors which form fused rhabdoms measuring an average size of 1.69 × 1.21 × 1.04 μm and each occupying a volume of only 0.97-1.16 μm3. The morphology of the stemmata of the extremely miniaturized first instar larva of Stylops ovinae (Strepsiptera, Stylopidae) was investigated using serial-sectioning transmission electron microscopy (ssTEM). Our 3D reconstruction revealed that, despite different proportions, all three stemmata maintain the same organization: a biconvex corneal lens, four corneagenous cells and five photoreceptor (retinula) cells. No pigment-containing cell-types were found to adjoin the corneagenous cells. Whereas the retinula cells are adapted to the limited space by having laterally bulged median regions, containing mitochondria and the smallest nuclei yet reported for arthropods (1.37 μm3), special adaptations are found in the corneagenous cells which have cell volumes down to 1 μm3. The corneagenous cells lack nuclei and pigment granules and bear only a few mitochondria (up to three) or none at all. Morphological adaptations due to miniaturization are discussed in the context of photoreceptor function and the visual needs of the larva.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefan Fischer
- Tübingen Structural Microscopy Core Facility, Center for Applied Geoscience, Eberhard-Karls-University Tübingen, Schnarrenbergstrasse 94-96, 72076 Tübingen, Germany; Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Life Sciences Centre, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada B3H 4R2.
| | - Michael Laue
- Advanced Light and Electron Microscopy (ZBS 4), Robert Koch-Institut, Seestr. 10, 13353 Berlin, Germany
| | - Carsten H G Müller
- Zoological Institute and Museum, Department of General and Systematic Zoology, University of Greifswald, Loitzer Str. 26, 17489 Greifswald, Germany
| | - Ian A Meinertzhagen
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Life Sciences Centre, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada B3H 4R2
| | - Hans Pohl
- Entomology Group, Institut für Zoologie und Evolutionsforschung, Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena, Erbertstraße 1, 07743 Jena, Germany
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23
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Borghezan EDA, Pires THDS, Ikeda T, Zuanon J, Kohshima S. A Review on Fish Sensory Systems and Amazon Water Types With Implications to Biodiversity. Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2020.589760] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
The Amazon has the highest richness of freshwater organisms in the world, which has led to a multitude of hypotheses on the mechanisms that generated this biodiversity. However, most of these hypotheses focus on the spatial distance of populations, a framework that fails to provide an explicit mechanism of speciation. Ecological conditions in Amazon freshwaters can be strikingly distinct, as it has been recognized since Alfred Russel Wallace’s categorization into black, white, and blue (= clear) waters. Water types reflect differences in turbidity, dissolved organic matter, electrical conductivity, pH, amount of nutrients and lighting environment, characteristics that directly affect the sensory abilities of aquatic organisms. Since natural selection drives evolution of sensory systems to function optimally according to environmental conditions, the sensory systems of Amazon freshwater organisms are expected to vary according to their environment. When differences in sensory systems affect chances of interbreeding between populations, local adaptations may result in speciation. Here, we briefly present the limnologic characteristics of Amazonian water types and how they are expected to influence photo-, chemical-, mechano-, and electro-reception of aquatic organisms, focusing on fish. We put forward that the effect of different water types on the adaptation of sensory systems is an important mechanism that contributed to the evolution of fish diversity. We point toward underexplored research perspectives on how divergent selection may act on sensory systems and thus contribute to the origin and maintenance of the biodiversity of Amazon aquatic environments.
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24
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Thomas KN, Gower DJ, Bell RC, Fujita MK, Schott RK, Streicher JW. Eye size and investment in frogs and toads correlate with adult habitat, activity pattern and breeding ecology. Proc Biol Sci 2020; 287:20201393. [PMID: 32962540 PMCID: PMC7542830 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2020.1393] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Frogs and toads (Amphibia: Anura) display diverse ecologies and behaviours, which are often correlated with visual capacity in other vertebrates. Additionally, anurans exhibit a broad range of relative eye sizes, which have not previously been linked to ecological factors in this group. We measured relative investment in eye size and corneal size for 220 species of anurans representing all 55 currently recognized families and tested whether they were correlated with six natural history traits hypothesized to be associated with the evolution of eye size. Anuran eye size was significantly correlated with habitat, with notable decreases in eye investment among fossorial, subfossorial and aquatic species. Relative eye size was also associated with mating habitat and activity pattern. Compared to other vertebrates, anurans have relatively large eyes for their body size, indicating that vision is probably of high importance. Our study reveals the role that ecology and behaviour may have played in the evolution of anuran visual systems and highlights the usefulness of museum specimens, and importance of broad taxonomic sampling, for interpreting macroecological patterns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kate N Thomas
- Department of Life Sciences, The Natural History Museum, London SW7 5BD, UK
| | - David J Gower
- Department of Life Sciences, The Natural History Museum, London SW7 5BD, UK
| | - Rayna C Bell
- Department of Vertebrate Zoology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC 20560-0162, USA.,Department of Herpetology, California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco, CA 94118, USA
| | - Matthew K Fujita
- Department of Biology, Amphibian and Reptile Diversity Research Center, The University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX 76019, USA
| | - Ryan K Schott
- Department of Vertebrate Zoology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC 20560-0162, USA
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25
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Light intensity regulates flower visitation in Neotropical nocturnal bees. Sci Rep 2020; 10:15333. [PMID: 32948798 PMCID: PMC7501267 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-72047-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2020] [Accepted: 08/12/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The foraging activity of diurnal bees often relies on flower availability, light intensity and temperature. We do not know how nocturnal bees, which fly at night and twilight, cope with these factors, especially as light levels vary considerably from night to day and from night to night due to moon phase and cloud cover. Given that bee apposition compound eyes function at their limits in dim light, we expect a strong dependence of foraging activity on light intensity in nocturnal bees. Besides being limited by minimum light levels to forage, nocturnal bees should also avoid foraging at brighter intensities, which bring increased competition with other bees. We investigated how five factors (light intensity, flower availability, temperature, humidity, and wind) affect flower visitation by Neotropical nocturnal bees in cambuci (Campomanesia phaea, Myrtaceae). We counted visits per minute over 30 nights in 33 cambuci trees. Light intensity was the main variable explaining flower visitation of nocturnal bees, which peaked at intermediate light levels occurring 25 min before sunrise. The minimum light intensity threshold to visit flowers was 0.00024 cd/m2. Our results highlight the dependence of these nocturnal insects on adequate light levels to explore resources.
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26
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Vinterstare J, Hulthén K, Nilsson DE, Nilsson PA, Brönmark C. More than meets the eye: Predator-induced pupil size plasticity in a teleost fish. J Anim Ecol 2020; 89:2258-2267. [PMID: 33460050 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13303] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2020] [Accepted: 06/24/2020] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Most animals are visually oriented, and their eyes provide their 'window to the world'. Eye size correlates positively with visual performance, because larger eyes can house larger pupils that increase photon catch and contrast discrimination, particularly under dim light, which have positive effects on behaviours that enhance fitness, including predator avoidance and foraging. Recent studies have linked predation risk to selection for larger eyes and pupils, and such changes should be of importance for the majority of teleost fishes as they have a pupil that is fixed in size (eyes lack a pupillary sphincter muscle) and, hence, do not respond to changes in light conditions. Here, we quantify eye and pupil size of individual crucian carp, a common freshwater fish, following controlled manipulations of perceived predation risk (presence/absence). We also tested if crucian carp responded to increased predation risk by shifts in diel activity patterns. We found that crucian carp show phenotypic plasticity with regards to pupil size, but not eye size, as pupil size increased when exposed to predators (pike). Predator-exposed crucian carp also shifted from diurnal to nocturnal activity. Using a modelling exercise, we moreover show that the plastically enlarged pupils significantly increase visual range, especially for small objects under dim light conditions. Overall, our results provide compelling evidence for predator-induced pupil enlargement resulting in enhanced visual capabilities in a teleost fish. Pupil size plasticity in combination with the observed shift towards nocturnal activity may allow for efficient foraging also under dark conditions when predation risk from diurnal and visually oriented predators is reduced. The data highlight the powerful role of predation risk for eye development and evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jerker Vinterstare
- Department of Biology, Aquatic Ecology Unit, Ecology Building, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Kaj Hulthén
- Department of Biology, Aquatic Ecology Unit, Ecology Building, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Dan E Nilsson
- Department of Biology, Lund Vision Group, Biology Building, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Per Anders Nilsson
- Department of Biology, Aquatic Ecology Unit, Ecology Building, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.,Department of Environmental and Life Sciences, Karlstad University, Karlstad, Sweden
| | - Christer Brönmark
- Department of Biology, Aquatic Ecology Unit, Ecology Building, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
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27
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de Busserolles F, Fogg L, Cortesi F, Marshall J. The exceptional diversity of visual adaptations in deep-sea teleost fishes. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2020; 106:20-30. [PMID: 32536437 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2020.05.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2020] [Revised: 05/28/2020] [Accepted: 05/28/2020] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
The deep-sea is the largest and one of the dimmest habitats on earth. In this extreme environment, every photon counts and may make the difference between life and death for its inhabitants. Two sources of light are present in the deep-sea; downwelling light, that becomes dimmer and spectrally narrower with increasing depth until completely disappearing at around 1000 m, and bioluminescence, the light emitted by animals themselves. Despite these relatively dark and inhospitable conditions, many teleost fish have made the deep-sea their home, relying heavily on vision to survive. Their visual systems have had to adapt, sometimes in astonishing and bizarre ways. This review examines some aspects of the visual system of deep-sea teleosts and highlights the exceptional diversity in both optical and retinal specialisations. We also reveal how widespread several of these adaptations are across the deep-sea teleost phylogeny. Finally, the significance of some recent findings as well as the surprising diversity in visual adaptations is discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fanny de Busserolles
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia.
| | - Lily Fogg
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Fabio Cortesi
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Justin Marshall
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia
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Lisney TJ, Collin SP, Kelley JL. The effect of ecological factors on eye morphology in the western rainbowfish, Melanotaenia australis. J Exp Biol 2020; 223:jeb223644. [PMID: 32321751 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.223644] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2020] [Accepted: 04/12/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Ecological factors such as spatial habitat complexity and diet can explain variation in visual morphology, but few studies have sought to determine whether visual specialisation can occur among populations of the same species. We used a small Australian freshwater fish (the western rainbowfish, Melanotaenia australis) to determine whether populations showed variation in eye size and eye position, and whether this variation could be explained by environmental (light availability, turbidity) and ecological (predation risk, habitat complexity, invertebrate abundance) variables. We investigated three aspects of eye morphology - (1) eye size relative to body size, (2) pupil size relative to eye size and (3) eye position in the head - for fish collected from 14 sites in a major river catchment in northwest Western Australia. We found significant variation among populations in all three measures of eye morphology, but no effect of sex on eye size or eye position. Variation in eye diameter and eye position was best explained by the level of habitat complexity. Specifically, fish occurring in habitats with low complexity (i.e. open water) tended to have smaller, more dorsally located eyes than those occurring in more complex habitats (i.e. vegetation present). The size of the pupil relative to the size of the eye was most influenced by the presence of surrounding rock formations; fish living in gorge habitats had significantly smaller pupils (relative to eye size) than those occupying semi-gorge sites or open habitats. Our findings reveal that different ecological and environmental factors contribute to habitat-specific visual specialisations within a species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas J Lisney
- Oceans Graduate School, The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia
- The Oceans Institute (M470), The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia
| | - Shaun P Collin
- Oceans Graduate School, The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia
- The Oceans Institute (M470), The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia
- School of Life Sciences, La Trobe University, Bundoora, VIC 3086, Australia
| | - Jennifer L Kelley
- School of Biological Sciences (M092), The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia
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Luehrmann M, Cortesi F, Cheney KL, Busserolles F, Marshall NJ. Microhabitat partitioning correlates with opsin gene expression in coral reef cardinalfishes (Apogonidae). Funct Ecol 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.13529] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Martin Luehrmann
- Sensory Neurobiology Group Queensland Brain Institute The University of Queensland Brisbane Qld Australia
| | - Fabio Cortesi
- Sensory Neurobiology Group Queensland Brain Institute The University of Queensland Brisbane Qld Australia
| | - Karen L. Cheney
- Sensory Neurobiology Group Queensland Brain Institute The University of Queensland Brisbane Qld Australia
- School of Biological Sciences The University of Queensland Brisbane Qld Australia
| | - Fanny Busserolles
- Sensory Neurobiology Group Queensland Brain Institute The University of Queensland Brisbane Qld Australia
| | - N. Justin Marshall
- Sensory Neurobiology Group Queensland Brain Institute The University of Queensland Brisbane Qld Australia
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30
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Feord RC, Sumner ME, Pusdekar S, Kalra L, Gonzalez-Bellido PT, Wardill TJ. Cuttlefish use stereopsis to strike at prey. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2020; 6:eaay6036. [PMID: 31934631 PMCID: PMC6949036 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aay6036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2019] [Accepted: 11/08/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
The camera-type eyes of vertebrates and cephalopods exhibit remarkable convergence, but it is currently unknown whether the mechanisms for visual information processing in these brains, which exhibit wildly disparate architecture, are also shared. To investigate stereopsis in a cephalopod species, we affixed "anaglyph" glasses to cuttlefish and used a three-dimensional perception paradigm. We show that (i) cuttlefish have also evolved stereopsis (i.e., the ability to extract depth information from the disparity between left and right visual fields); (ii) when stereopsis information is intact, the time and distance covered before striking at a target are shorter; (iii) stereopsis in cuttlefish works differently to vertebrates, as cuttlefish can extract stereopsis cues from anticorrelated stimuli. These findings demonstrate that although there is convergent evolution in depth computation, cuttlefish stereopsis is likely afforded by a different algorithm than in humans, and not just a different implementation.
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Affiliation(s)
- R. C. Feord
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EG, UK
| | - M. E. Sumner
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN 55108, USA
| | - S. Pusdekar
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN 55108, USA
| | - L. Kalra
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN 55108, USA
| | - P. T. Gonzalez-Bellido
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN 55108, USA
| | - Trevor J. Wardill
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN 55108, USA
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31
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Wen C, Ma T, Deng Y, Liu C, Liang S, Wen J, Wang C, Wen X. Morphological and optical features of the apposition compound eye of Monochamus alternatus Hope (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae). Micron 2019; 128:102769. [PMID: 31627039 DOI: 10.1016/j.micron.2019.102769] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2019] [Revised: 10/03/2019] [Accepted: 10/04/2019] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
The Japanese pine sawyer beetle, Monochamus alternatus Hope (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) is currently the most destructive forest pest as it transmits the pine wilt nematode Bursaphelenchus xylophilus. Morphological, optical features and dark/light adaptational changes of the compound eyes of M. alternatus adults were examined by light, scanning and transmission electron microscopy. The eye of M. alternatus is apposition type and contains 489-712 ommatidia, depending on the beetle's body size. Each ommatidium features a large corneal lens, composed of a thick inner lens (ILU) and a thin outer lens unit (OLU); an acone-type of cone of four cone cells, a semi-fused type of rhabdom formed by eight retinular cells (two central cells: R7-R8 surrounded by six peripheral cells: R1-R6). Dark/light adaptational changes affect size and shape of the cones as well as the rhabdom's cross-sectional area and outline, to optimize the amount of light that reaches the photopigment. The compound eyes of M. alternatus have an F-number of 0.94, an interommatidial angle of 5.34°, an eye parameter P of 4.98 μm rad and a ratio of acceptance to interommatidial angle of 0.45. The eye is characterized by relatively poor spatial resolution, but can be expected to exhibit high absolute sensitivity and contrast in dim light.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chao Wen
- Guangdong Key Laboratory for Innovation Development and Utilization of Forest Plant Germplasm, College of Forestry and Landscape Architecture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Tao Ma
- Guangdong Key Laboratory for Innovation Development and Utilization of Forest Plant Germplasm, College of Forestry and Landscape Architecture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yangxiao Deng
- Guangdong Key Laboratory for Innovation Development and Utilization of Forest Plant Germplasm, College of Forestry and Landscape Architecture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Chuanhe Liu
- Instrumental Analysis and Research Center, South China Agricultural university, Guangzhou, China
| | - Shiping Liang
- Guangdong Key Laboratory for Innovation Development and Utilization of Forest Plant Germplasm, College of Forestry and Landscape Architecture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Junbao Wen
- Beijing Key Laboratory for Forest Pest Control, College of Forestry, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, 100083, China
| | - Cai Wang
- Guangdong Key Laboratory for Innovation Development and Utilization of Forest Plant Germplasm, College of Forestry and Landscape Architecture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China.
| | - Xiujun Wen
- Guangdong Key Laboratory for Innovation Development and Utilization of Forest Plant Germplasm, College of Forestry and Landscape Architecture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China.
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32
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Differential fitness effects of moonlight on plumage colour morphs in barn owls. Nat Ecol Evol 2019; 3:1331-1340. [PMID: 31477846 PMCID: PMC6728161 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-019-0967-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2018] [Accepted: 07/24/2019] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The Moon cycle exposes nocturnal life to variation in environmental light. However, whether moonlight shapes the fitness of nocturnal species with distinct colour variants remains unknown. Combining long-term monitoring, high-resolution GPS tracking, and experiments on prey, we show that barn owls (Tyto alba) with distinct plumage colourations are differently affected by moonlight. The reddest owls are less successful hunting and providing food to their offspring during moonlit nights, which associates with lower body mass and survival of the youngest nestlings and with female mates starting to lay eggs at low moonlight levels. Although moonlight should make white owls more conspicuous to prey, hunting and fitness of the whitest owls are positively or un-affected by moonlight. We experimentally show that, under full-moon conditions, white plumages trigger longer freezing times in the prey, which should facilitate prey catchability. We propose that the barn owl’s white plumage, a rare trait among nocturnal predators, exploits the known aversion of rodents to bright light, explaining why, counterintuitively, moonlight impacts less the whitest owls. Our study provides evidence for the long-suspected influence of the Moon on the evolution of colouration in nocturnal species, highlighting the importance of colour in nocturnal ecosystems.
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Zhang R, Zhao J, Hao Y, Cao X, Zhao Y, Tang S. Retinal development in mandarinfish Siniperca chuatsi and morphological analysis of the photoreceptor layer. JOURNAL OF FISH BIOLOGY 2019; 95:903-917. [PMID: 31270805 DOI: 10.1111/jfb.14088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2019] [Accepted: 07/03/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
We describe the process of retinal development in mandarinfish Siniperca chuatsi from larvae to young fish. The developmental characteristics of the retinal structure and related cells were identified. Siniperca chuatsi were found to exhibit an altricial mode of retinal development that required considerable time to be completed after hatching. The retina was classed as a pure cone type during the early developmental stage. In the subsequent developmental stages, however, double cones gradually occupied the majority of the cone cells, while rod cells represented the majority of the photoreceptor cells. The outer segment (OS) of the rod cells were significantly longer compared with other morphological features, the OS of the two kinds of cone cells were significantly elongated and the diameters of the inner segment (IS) and OS of the double cone cells were significantly narrower in the later developmental stages. Combined with the scattered arrangement of cone cells at the different stages, the retina was found to have sacrificed a considerable part of visual acuity in the developmental process. The distribution of cone cells was observed to have gradually become regionalised during development. The findings of the present study also indicated that S. chuatsi have a high photosensitivity under dim light conditions as a result of specialised structures of the OS of photoreceptor cells and an increased number of rod cells. The loose arrangement of the cone mosaic presumably resulted in a poor imaging quality and, to some extent, the regionalisation of the cone-cell distribution compensated for the above shortcomings, which would enhance the ability of S. chuatsi to perceive targets in important directions for effective predation behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruiqi Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fishery Germplasm Resources, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Collaborative Innovation for Aquatic Animal Genetics and Breeding, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai, China
- National Demonstration Center for Experimental Fisheries Science Education, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jinliang Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fishery Germplasm Resources, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Collaborative Innovation for Aquatic Animal Genetics and Breeding, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai, China
- National Demonstration Center for Experimental Fisheries Science Education, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai, China
| | - YueYue Hao
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fishery Germplasm Resources, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Collaborative Innovation for Aquatic Animal Genetics and Breeding, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai, China
- National Demonstration Center for Experimental Fisheries Science Education, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiaoyin Cao
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fishery Germplasm Resources, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Collaborative Innovation for Aquatic Animal Genetics and Breeding, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai, China
- National Demonstration Center for Experimental Fisheries Science Education, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yan Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fishery Germplasm Resources, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Collaborative Innovation for Aquatic Animal Genetics and Breeding, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai, China
- National Demonstration Center for Experimental Fisheries Science Education, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai, China
| | - Shoujie Tang
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fishery Germplasm Resources, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Collaborative Innovation for Aquatic Animal Genetics and Breeding, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai, China
- National Demonstration Center for Experimental Fisheries Science Education, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai, China
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34
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Brill RW, Horodysky AZ, Place AR, Larkin MEM, Reimschuessel R. Effects of dietary taurine level on visual function in European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax). PLoS One 2019; 14:e0214347. [PMID: 31211780 PMCID: PMC6581246 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0214347] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2019] [Accepted: 06/04/2019] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Dietary insufficiencies have been well documented to decrease growth rates and survival (and therefore overall production) in fish aquaculture. By contrast, the effects of dietary insufficiencies on the sensory biology of cultured fish remains largely unstudied. Diets based solely on plant protein sources could have advantages over fish-based diets because of the cost and ecological effects of the latter, but plant proteins lack the amino acid taurine. Adequate levels of taurine are, however, necessary for the development of a fully functional visual system in mammals. As part of ongoing studies to determine the suitability of plant-based diets, we investigated the effects of normal and reduced taurine dietary levels on retinal anatomy and function in European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax). We could not demonstrate any effects of dietary taurine level on retinal anatomy, nor the functional properties of luminous sensitivity and temporal resolution (measured as flicker fusion frequency). We did, however, find an effect on spectral sensitivity. The peak of spectral sensitivity of individuals fed a 5% taurine diet was rightward shifted (i.e., towards longer wavelengths) relative to that of fish fed a 0% or 1.5% taurine diet. This difference in in spectral sensitivity was due to a relatively lower level of middle wavelength pigment (maximum absorbance .500 nm) in fish fed a 5% taurine diet. Changes in spectral sensitivity resulting from diets containing different taurine levels are unlikely to be detrimental to fish destined for market, but could be in fishes that are being reared for stock enhancement programs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard W. Brill
- Department of Fisheries Science, Virginia Institute of Marine Science, Gloucester Point, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Andrij Z. Horodysky
- Department of Marine and Environmental Science, Hampton University, Hampton, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Allen R. Place
- Institute of Marine and Environmental Technology, University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Mary E. M. Larkin
- Institute of Marine and Environmental Technology, University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Renate Reimschuessel
- Center for Veterinary Medicine, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Rockville, Maryland, United States of America
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35
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Cerveira AM, Jackson RR, Nelson XJ. Dim-light vision in jumping spiders (Araneae, Salticidae): identification of prey and rivals. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2019; 222:jeb.198069. [PMID: 31019068 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.198069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2018] [Accepted: 04/16/2019] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Jumping spiders (family Salticidae) are known for their intricate vision-based behavior during encounters with prey and conspecific individuals. This is achieved using eyes specialized for discerning fine detail, but there has been minimal research on the capacity that salticids might have for visual performance under low ambient light levels. Here, we investigated the capacity of two salticid species, Cyrba algerina from Portugal and Cyrba ocellata from Kenya, to perform two specific visual tasks under low ambient light levels. We used lures made from spiders and midges in prey-identification experiments and mirror images (virtual conspecifics) in rival-identification experiments. These experiments were implemented under a range of ambient light levels (234, 1.35, 0.54, 0.24 cd m-2). In most instances, C algerina and C ocellata were proficient at performing both of these visual tasks when ambient light was 234 and 1.35 cd m-2, and a minority performed these tasks at 0.54 cd m-2, but none succeeded when the light level was 0.24 cd m-2 Cyrba algerina and C. ocellata showed vision-based discrimination under low ambient light levels previously associated with nocturnal species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana M Cerveira
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Private Bag 4800, Christchurch 8140, New Zealand
| | - Robert R Jackson
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Private Bag 4800, Christchurch 8140, New Zealand.,International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE), Thomas Odhiambo Campus, PO Box 30, Mbita Point, Kenya
| | - Ximena J Nelson
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Private Bag 4800, Christchurch 8140, New Zealand
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36
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Somanathan H, Saryan P, Balamurali GS. Foraging strategies and physiological adaptations in large carpenter bees. J Comp Physiol A Neuroethol Sens Neural Behav Physiol 2019; 205:387-398. [PMID: 30840127 DOI: 10.1007/s00359-019-01323-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2018] [Revised: 02/19/2019] [Accepted: 02/21/2019] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
Large carpenter bees are charismatic and ubiquitous flower visitors in the tropics and sub-tropics. Unlike honeybees and bumblebees that have been popular subjects of extensive studies on their neuroethology, behaviour and ecology, carpenter bees have received little attention. This review integrates what is known about their foraging behaviour as well as sensory, physiological and cognitive adaptations and is motivated by their versatility as flower visitors and pollinators. This is evident from their extremely generalist foraging and adeptness at handling diverse flower types as legitimate pollinators and as illegitimate nectar robbers. They purportedly use traplining to forage between isolated patches and are long-distance flyers over several kilometres suggesting well-developed spatial learning, route memory and navigational capabilities. They have a broad range of temperature tolerance and thermoregulatory capabilities which are likely employed in their forays into crepuscular and nocturnal time periods. Such temporal extensions into dim-light periods invoke a suite of visual adaptations in their apposition optics. Thus, we propose that carpenter bees are an excellent though understudied group for exploring the complex nature of plant-pollinator mutualisms from ecological and mechanistic perspectives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hema Somanathan
- IISER TVM Centre for Research and Education in Ecology and Evolution (ICREEE), School of Biology, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Thiruvananthapuram, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India.
| | - Preeti Saryan
- IISER TVM Centre for Research and Education in Ecology and Evolution (ICREEE), School of Biology, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Thiruvananthapuram, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India
| | - G S Balamurali
- IISER TVM Centre for Research and Education in Ecology and Evolution (ICREEE), School of Biology, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Thiruvananthapuram, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India
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37
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Abstract
The existence of a synthetic program of research on what was then termed the "nocturnal problem" and that we might now call "nighttime ecology" was declared more than 70 years ago. In reality, this failed to materialize, arguably as a consequence of practical challenges in studying organisms at night and instead concentrating on the existence of circadian rhythms, the mechanisms that give rise to them, and their consequences. This legacy is evident to this day, with consideration of the ecology of the nighttime markedly underrepresented in ecological research and literature. However, several factors suggest that it would be timely to revive the vision of a comprehensive research program in nighttime ecology. These include (i) that the study of the ecology of the night is being revolutionized by new and improved technologies; (ii) suggestions that, far from being a minor component of biodiversity, a high proportion of animal species are active at night; (iii) that fundamental questions about differences and connections between the ecology of the daytime and the nighttime remain largely unanswered; and (iv) that the nighttime environment is coming under severe anthropogenic pressure. In this article, I seek to reestablish nighttime ecology as a synthetic program of research, highlighting key focal topics and questions and providing an overview of the current state of understanding and developments.
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38
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Youn S, Okinaka C, Mäthger LM. Elaborate pupils in skates may help camouflage the eye. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2019; 222:jeb.195966. [PMID: 30665973 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.195966] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2018] [Accepted: 12/16/2018] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
The skate Leucoraja erinacea is a bottom-dweller that buries into the substrate with its eyes protruding, revealing elaborately shaped pupils. It has been suggested that such pupil shapes may camouflage the eye, yet this has never been tested. Here, we asked whether skate pupils dilate or constrict depending on background spatial frequency. In experiment 1, the skates' pupillary response to three artificial checkerboards of different spatial frequencies was recorded. Results showed that pupils did not change in response to spatial frequency. In experiment 2, in which skates buried into three natural substrates of different spatial frequencies, such that their eyes protruded, pupils showed a subtle but statistically significant response to changes in substrate spatial frequency. Although light intensity is the primary factor determining pupil dilation, our results show that pupils also change depending on the spatial frequency of natural substrates, which suggests that pupils may aid in camouflaging the eye.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sean Youn
- Marine Biological Laboratory, Bell Center, Woods Hole, MA 02543, USA.,Wiess School of Natural Sciences, Rice University, Houston, TX 77005, USA
| | - Corey Okinaka
- Marine Biological Laboratory, Bell Center, Woods Hole, MA 02543, USA.,Biological Sciences Division, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Lydia M Mäthger
- Marine Biological Laboratory, Bell Center, Woods Hole, MA 02543, USA
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39
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Birk MH, Blicher ME, Garm A. Deep-sea starfish from the Arctic have well-developed eyes in the dark. Proc Biol Sci 2019; 285:rspb.2017.2743. [PMID: 29436504 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2017.2743] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2017] [Accepted: 01/11/2018] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Asteroids, starfish, are important members of the macro-benthos in almost all marine environments including the deep sea. Starfish are in general assumed to be largely olfactory guided, but recent studies have shown that two tropical shallow water species rely on vision alone to find their habitat at short distances. Their compound eyes are found at the tip of each arm and they vary little between examined species. Still, nothing is known about vision in the species found in the aphotic zone of the deep sea or whether they even have eyes. Here, 13 species of starfish from Greenland waters, covering a depth range from shallow waters to the deep sea below 1000 m, were examined for the presence of eyes and optical and morphological examinations were used to estimate the quality of vision. Further, species found in the aphotic zone below 320 m were checked for bioluminescence. All species, except the infaunal Ctenodiscus crispatus, had eyes, and two were found to be bioluminescent. Interestingly, one of the species found in the aphotic zone, Novodinia americana, had close to the highest spatial resolution known for starfish eyes along with being bioluminescent. Accordingly, we hypothesize that this species communicates visually using bioluminescent flashes putatively for reproductive purposes. Other species have greatly enhanced sensitivity with few large ommatidia but at the sacrifice of spatial resolution. The discovery of eyes in deep-sea starfish with a huge variation in optical quality and sensitivity indicates that their visual ecology also differs greatly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie Helene Birk
- Marine Biological Section, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 4, 2100 Copenhagen Ø, Denmark.,Greenland Climate Research Centre, Greenland Institute of Natural Resources, Kivioq 2, 3900 Nuuk, Greenland
| | - Martin E Blicher
- Greenland Climate Research Centre, Greenland Institute of Natural Resources, Kivioq 2, 3900 Nuuk, Greenland
| | - Anders Garm
- Marine Biological Section, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 4, 2100 Copenhagen Ø, Denmark
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40
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Fischer S, Lu Z, Meinertzhagen IA. Three-dimensional ultrastructural organization of the ommatidium of the minute parasitoid wasp Trichogramma evanescens. ARTHROPOD STRUCTURE & DEVELOPMENT 2019; 48:35-48. [PMID: 30605733 DOI: 10.1016/j.asd.2018.12.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2018] [Revised: 12/28/2018] [Accepted: 12/28/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Existing information on insect compound eyes is mainly limited to two-dimensional information derived from histological or ultrathin sections. These allow a basic description of eye morphology, but are limited in z-axis resolution because of the section thickness or intervals between sections, so that accurate volumetric information cannot be generated. Here we use serial-sectioning transmission electron microscopy to present a 3-D reconstruction at ultrastructural level of a complete ommatidium of a miniaturized insect compound eye. Besides the general presentation of the three dimensional arrangement of the different cell types within the ommatidium, the reconstruction allowed volumetric measurements and numerical analyses to be undertaken, revealing new insights into the number, size and distribution of cell organelles in insect ommatidia. Morphological features that can be related to miniaturization, namely the dimensions and displacement of nuclei, reduction of average pigment granule volume and loss of pigment granules in the terminals of the cone cells, the impact of metabolic activity of cell types on miniaturization, as well as maintenance of rhabdomere volume and limits to its miniaturization, are all discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefan Fischer
- Evolutionary Biology of Invertebrates, Institute of Evolution and Ecology, Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 28E, 72076 Tübingen, Germany; Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Life Sciences Centre, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS B3H 4R2, Canada.
| | - Zhiyuan Lu
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Life Sciences Centre, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS B3H 4R2, Canada
| | - Ian A Meinertzhagen
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Life Sciences Centre, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS B3H 4R2, Canada
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41
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Alfred Owens D, Gu J, McNally RD. Perception of the speed of self-motion vs. object-motion: Another example of two modes of vision? Conscious Cogn 2018; 64:61-71. [PMID: 30055972 DOI: 10.1016/j.concog.2018.07.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2018] [Revised: 07/11/2018] [Accepted: 07/12/2018] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
We investigated the effect of reduced contrast on speed perception for two types of tasks: (a) the speed of a rotating image, an example of "object-motion," and (b) speed of travel when viewing wide-screen videos recorded from inside a car, an example of "self-motion." Both types of stimuli were presented over a range of spatial contrasts. The results showed that reduced contrast caused significant decreases of perceived speed for the rotating disk, replicating the well known Thompson Effect. Reduced contrast had inconsistent effects on perceived speed of self-motion, however, resulting in perception of faster self-motion at the lowest speed, slower self-motion at higher speeds, and no effect at intermediate speed. Although further research is needed, the differential effects of reduced contrast on perceived speed of object-motion vs. self-motion are consistent with evidence for two modes of vision.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jingyi Gu
- Franklin & Marshall College, United States
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Iglesias TL, Dornburg A, Warren DL, Wainwright PC, Schmitz L, Economo EP. Eyes Wide Shut: the impact of dim-light vision on neural investment in marine teleosts. J Evol Biol 2018; 31:1082-1092. [DOI: 10.1111/jeb.13299] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2018] [Revised: 05/13/2018] [Accepted: 05/25/2018] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Teresa L. Iglesias
- Physics and Biology Unit; Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University; Okinawa Japan
- Macquarie University; Sydney NSW Australia
| | - Alex Dornburg
- North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences; Raleigh NC USA
| | - Dan L. Warren
- Macquarie University; Sydney NSW Australia
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Center (SBiK-F); Frankfurt am Main Germany
| | | | - Lars Schmitz
- W.M. Keck Science Department Claremont; Claremont McKenna, Scripps and Pitzer Colleges; Claremont CA USA
| | - Evan P. Economo
- Biodiversity and Biocomplexity Unit; Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University; Okinawa Japan
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O'Carroll DC, Warrant EJ. Vision in dim light: highlights and challenges. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2018; 372:rstb.2016.0062. [PMID: 28193807 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2016.0062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/22/2016] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
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Yuen SW, Bonebrake TC. Artificial night light alters nocturnal prey interception outcomes for morphologically variable spiders. PeerJ 2017; 5:e4070. [PMID: 29250464 PMCID: PMC5731334 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.4070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2017] [Accepted: 10/30/2017] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Artificial night light has the potential to significantly alter visually-dependent species interactions. However, examples of disruptions of species interactions through changes in light remain rare and how artificial night light may alter predator–prey relationships are particularly understudied. In this study, we examined whether artificial night light could impact prey attraction and interception in Nephila pilipes orb weaver spiders, conspicuous predators who make use of yellow color patterns to mimic floral resources and attract prey to their webs. We measured moth prey attraction and interception responses to treatments where we experimentally manipulated the color/contrast of spider individuals in the field (removed yellow markings) and also set up light manipulations. We found that lit webs had lower rates of moth interception than unlit webs. Spider color, however, had no clear impact on moth interception or attraction rates in lit nor unlit webs. The results show that night light can reduce prey interception for spiders. Additionally, this study highlights how environmental and morphological variation can complicate simple predictions of ecological light pollution’s disruption of species interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suet Wai Yuen
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
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Woods KN, Pfeffer J, Klein-Seetharaman J. Chlorophyll-Derivative Modulation of Rhodopsin Signaling Properties through Evolutionarily Conserved Interaction Pathways. Front Mol Biosci 2017; 4:85. [PMID: 29312953 PMCID: PMC5733091 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2017.00085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2017] [Accepted: 11/28/2017] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Retinal is the light-absorbing chromophore that is responsible for the activation of visual pigments and light-driven ion pumps. Evolutionary changes in the intermolecular interactions of the retinal with specific amino acids allow for adaptation of the spectral characteristics, referred to as spectral tuning. However, it has been proposed that a specific species of dragon fish has bypassed the adaptive evolutionary process of spectral tuning and replaced it with a single evolutionary event: photosensitization of rhodopsin by chlorophyll derivatives. Here, by using a combination of experimental measurements and computational modeling to probe retinal-receptor interactions in rhodopsin, we show how the binding of the chlorophyll derivative, chlorin-e6 (Ce6) in the intracellular domain (ICD) of the receptor allosterically excites G-protein coupled receptor class A (GPCR-A) conserved long-range correlated fluctuations that connect distant parts of the receptor. These long-range correlated motions are associated with regulating the dynamics and intermolecular interactions of specific amino acids in the retinal ligand-binding pocket that have been associated with shifts in the absorbance peak maximum (λmax) and hence, spectral sensitivity of the visual system. Moreover, the binding of Ce6 affects the overall global properties of the receptor. Specifically, we find that Ce6-induced dynamics alter the thermal stability of rhodopsin by adjusting hydrogen-bonding interactions near the receptor active-site that consequently also influences the intrinsic conformational equilibrium of the receptor. Due to the conservation of the ICD residues amongst different receptors in this class and the fact that all GPCR-A receptors share a common mechanism of activation, it is possible that the allosteric associations excited in rhodopsin with Ce6 binding are a common feature in all class A GPCRs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristina N. Woods
- Lehrstuhl für BioMolekulare Optik, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, München, Germany
- *Correspondence: Kristina N. Woods
| | - Jürgen Pfeffer
- Bavarian School of Public Policy, Technical University of Munich, München, Germany
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Cronin TW, Fasick JI, Schweikert LE, Johnsen S, Kezmoh LJ, Baumgartner MF. Coping with copepods: do right whales ( Eubalaena glacialis) forage visually in dark waters? Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2017; 372:rstb.2016.0067. [PMID: 28193812 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2016.0067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/19/2016] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
North Atlantic right whales (Eubalaena glacialis) feed during the spring and early summer in marine waters off the northeast coast of North America. Their food primarily consists of planktonic copepods, Calanus finmarchicus, which they consume in large numbers by ram filter feeding. The coastal waters where these whales forage are turbid, but they successfully locate copepod swarms during the day at depths exceeding 100 m, where light is very dim and copepod patches may be difficult to see. Using models of E. glacialis visual sensitivity together with measurements of light in waters near Cape Cod where they feed and of light attenuation by living copepods in seawater, we evaluated the potential for visual foraging by these whales. Our results suggest that vision may be useful for finding copepod patches, particularly if E. glacialis searches overhead for silhouetted masses or layers of copepods. This should permit the whales to locate C. finmarchicus visually throughout most daylight hours at depths throughout their foraging range. Looking laterally, the whales might also be able to see copepod patches at short range near the surface.This article is part of the themed issue 'Vision in dim light'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas W Cronin
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Maryland Baltimore County, Baltimore, MD 21250, USA
| | - Jeffry I Fasick
- Department of Biological Sciences, The University of Tampa, Tampa, FL 33606, USA
| | - Lorian E Schweikert
- Department of Biological Sciences, Florida Institute of Technology, Melbourne, FL 32901, USA.,Biology Department, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Sönke Johnsen
- Biology Department, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Lorren J Kezmoh
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Maryland Baltimore County, Baltimore, MD 21250, USA
| | - Mark F Baumgartner
- Biology Department, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA 02543, USA
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Penteriani V, Delgado MDM. Living in the dark does not mean a blind life: bird and mammal visual communication in dim light. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2017; 372:rstb.2016.0064. [PMID: 28193809 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2016.0064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/19/2016] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
For many years, it was believed that bird and mammal communication 'in the dark of the night' relied exclusively on vocal and chemical signalling. However, in recent decades, several case studies have conveyed the idea that the nocturnal world is rich in visual information. Clearly, a visual signal needs a source of light to work, but diurnal light (twilight included, i.e. any light directly dependent on the sun) is not the only source of luminosity on this planet. Actually, moonlight represents a powerful source of illumination that cannot be neglected from the perspective of visual communication. White patches of feathers and fur on a dark background have the potential to be used to communicate with conspecifics and heterospecifics in dim light across different contexts and for a variety of reasons. Here: (i) we review current knowledge on visual signalling in crepuscular and nocturnal birds and mammals; and (ii) we also present some possible cases of birds and mammals that, due to the characteristics of their feather and fur coloration pattern, might use visual signals in dim light. Visual signalling in nocturnal animals is still an emerging field and, to date, it has received less attention than many other means of communication, including visual communication under daylight. For this reason, many questions remain unanswered and, sometimes, even unasked.This article is part of the themed issue 'Vision in dim light'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vincenzo Penteriani
- Department of Conservation Biology, Estación Biológica de Doñana, C.S.I.C., c/Américo Vespucio s/n, 41092 Seville, Spain .,Research Unit of Biodiversity (UMIB, UO-CSIC-PA), Oviedo University-Campus Mieres, 33600 Mieres, Spain
| | - María Del Mar Delgado
- Research Unit of Biodiversity (UMIB, UO-CSIC-PA), Oviedo University-Campus Mieres, 33600 Mieres, Spain
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Warrant EJ. The remarkable visual capacities of nocturnal insects: vision at the limits with small eyes and tiny brains. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2017; 372:rstb.2016.0063. [PMID: 28193808 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2016.0063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/25/2016] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Nocturnal insects have evolved remarkable visual capacities, despite small eyes and tiny brains. They can see colour, control flight and land, react to faint movements in their environment, navigate using dim celestial cues and find their way home after a long and tortuous foraging trip using learned visual landmarks. These impressive visual abilities occur at light levels when only a trickle of photons are being absorbed by each photoreceptor, begging the question of how the visual system nonetheless generates the reliable signals needed to steer behaviour. In this review, I attempt to provide an answer to this question. Part of the answer lies in their compound eyes, which maximize light capture. Part lies in the slow responses and high gains of their photoreceptors, which improve the reliability of visual signals. And a very large part lies in the spatial and temporal summation of these signals in the optic lobe, a strategy that substantially enhances contrast sensitivity in dim light and allows nocturnal insects to see a brighter world, albeit a slower and coarser one. What is abundantly clear, however, is that during their evolution insects have overcome several serious potential visual limitations, endowing them with truly extraordinary night vision.This article is part of the themed issue 'Vision in dim light'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric J Warrant
- Lund Vision Group, Department of Biology, University of Lund, Sölvegatan 35, 22362 Lund, Sweden
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Kelber A, Yovanovich C, Olsson P. Thresholds and noise limitations of colour vision in dim light. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2017; 372:rstb.2016.0065. [PMID: 28193810 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2016.0065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/07/2016] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Colour discrimination is based on opponent photoreceptor interactions, and limited by receptor noise. In dim light, photon shot noise impairs colour vision, and in vertebrates, the absolute threshold of colour vision is set by dark noise in cones. Nocturnal insects (e.g. moths and nocturnal bees) and vertebrates lacking rods (geckos) have adaptations to reduce receptor noise and use chromatic vision even in very dim light. In contrast, vertebrates with duplex retinae use colour-blind rod vision when noisy cone signals become unreliable, and their transition from cone- to rod-based vision is marked by the Purkinje shift. Rod-cone interactions have not been shown to improve colour vision in dim light, but may contribute to colour vision in mesopic light intensities. Frogs and toads that have two types of rods use opponent signals from these rods to control phototaxis even at their visual threshold. However, for tasks such as prey or mate choice, their colour discrimination abilities fail at brighter light intensities, similar to other vertebrates, probably limited by the dark noise in cones.This article is part of the themed issue 'Vision in dim light'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Almut Kelber
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Sölvegatan 35, 22362 Lund, Sweden
| | - Carola Yovanovich
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Sölvegatan 35, 22362 Lund, Sweden
| | - Peter Olsson
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Sölvegatan 35, 22362 Lund, Sweden
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Abstract
BACKGROUND Fundamental spatial vision capabilities of visual systems can be characterized by their contrast sensitivity and visual acuity. OBJECTIVE Comparison of contrast sensitivity and visual acuity in humans and other animals. MATERIAL AND METHODS An analysis of known contrast sensitivity functions and maximum visual acuity across selected taxa was carried out, with consideration of measurement principles, viewing conditions and allometry. RESULTS Comparing across all analyzed species, contrast sensitivity functions have inverted U‑shape characteristics, with key differences in both position and absolute sensitivity within the spectrum of spatial frequencies. Humans, for example, have a maximum sensitivity at 5 cycles/degree and mice at approximately 0.1 cycles/degree. Body and eye size generally correlate well with maximum visual acuity. Across eye types, lens eyes have the highest optical and visual resolution, all other things being equal. Diurnal species typically outperform crepuscular or nocturnal species. Humans generally excel at both maximum contrast sensitivity as well as visual acuity. CONCLUSION Despite great differences in optical, anatomical and neurophysiological structures between humans and animals, spatial vision capabilities are generally comparable across taxa. This favors the hypothesis that spatial vision in animals develops primarily towards meeting similar evolutionary needs within the limits of biophysical and optical laws.
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Affiliation(s)
- W M Harmening
- Universitäts-Augenklinik Bonn, Ernst-Abbe-Str. 2, 53127, Bonn, Deutschland.
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