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THE SENSIBILITY OF THE SUN-FISH, LEPOMIS, TO MONOCHROMATIC RADIATION OF LOW INTENSITIES
1Laboratory of Biophysics, Columbia University.
The Journal of General Physiology
|October 30, 2009
Summary
This study investigated fish dim vision, finding that while the peak sensitivity aligns with visual purple absorption, the overall visibility curve differs due to other light-absorbing pigments.
Area of Science:
- Vision Science
- Animal Physiology
- Biochemistry
Background:
- Visual purple (rhodopsin) is the primary photosensitive pigment in vertebrate dim vision.
- Fish visual purple differs from that of other vertebrates, suggesting potential differences in their dim-visibility functions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To test the hypothesis that fish visual purple determines their dim-visibility function.
- To investigate the relationship between the absorption spectrum of fish visual purple and their dim-visibility function.
- To identify factors that may distort the fish visibility curve.
Main Methods:
- A novel quantitative method was developed to measure fish visibility functions.
- This method involved measuring the least spectral energy eliciting a visual orienting response to a background displacement.
- Data were collected from thirteen fish species.
Main Results:
- The maximum of the fish visibility function coincided with the maximum absorption of fish visual purple.
- However, the shapes of the visibility curves varied and deviated from the absorption spectrum.
- Measurements confirmed that Lepomis visual purple is consistent with that of other fish.
Conclusions:
- The study concludes that factors other than visual purple absorption distort the fish visibility curve.
- The presence of additional light-absorbing, non-photosensitive pigments is proposed as the cause of distortion.
- Carotenoids are suggested as one such pigment, with a second, unspecified pigment also implicated.
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