Photonic Crystal Light Collectors in Fish Retina Improve Vision in Turbid Water

Despite their diversity, vertebrate retinae are specialized to maximize either photon catch or visual acuity. Here, we describe a functional type that is optimized for neither purpose. In the retina of the elephantnose fish (Gnathonemus petersii), cone photoreceptors are grouped together within refl...

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Veröffentlicht in:Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science) 2012-06, Vol.336 (6089), p.1700-1703
Hauptverfasser: Kreysing, Moritz, Pusch, Roland, Haverkate, Dorothee, Landsberger, Meik, Engelmann, Jacob, Ruiter, Janina, Mora-Ferrer, Carlos, Ulbricht, Elke, Grosche, Jens, Franze, Kristian, Streif, Stefan, Schumacher, Sarah, Makarov, Felix, Kacza, Johannes, Guck, Jochen, Wolburg, Hartwig, Bowmaker, James K., von der Emde, Gerhard, Schuster, Stefan, Wagner, Hans-Joachim, Reichenbach, Andreas, Francke, Mike
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Sprache:eng
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Zusammenfassung:Despite their diversity, vertebrate retinae are specialized to maximize either photon catch or visual acuity. Here, we describe a functional type that is optimized for neither purpose. In the retina of the elephantnose fish (Gnathonemus petersii), cone photoreceptors are grouped together within reflecting, photonic crystal-lined cups acting as macroreceptors, but rod photoreceptors are positioned behind these reflectors. This unusual arrangement matches rod and cone sensitivity for detecting color-mixed stimuli, whereas the photoreceptor grouping renders the fish insensitive to spatial noise; together, this enables more reliable flight reactions in the fish's dim and turbid habitat as compared with fish lacking this retinal specialization.
ISSN:0036-8075
1095-9203
DOI:10.1126/science.1218072