Evidence for spatial vision in Chiton tuberculatus, a chiton with eyespots

To better understand relationships between the structures and functions of the distributed visual systems of chitons, we compare how morphological differences between the light-sensing structures of these animals relate to their visually guided behaviors. All chitons have sensory organs - termed aesthetes - embedded within their protective shell plates. In some species, the aesthetes are interspersed with small, image-forming eyes. In other species, the aesthetes are paired with pigmented eyespots. Previously, we compared the visually influenced behaviors of chitons with aesthetes to those of chitons with both aesthetes and eyes. Here, we characterize the visually influenced behaviors of chitons with aesthetes and eyespots. We find that chitons with eyespots engage in behaviors consistent with spatial vision, but appear to use spatial vision for different tasks than chitons with eyes. Unlike chitons with eyes, Chiton tuberculatus and C. marmoratus fail to distinguish between sudden appearances of overhead objects and equivalent, uniform changes in light levels. We also find that C. tuberculatus orients to static objects with angular sizes as small as 10 deg. Thus, C. tuberculatus demonstrates spatial resolution that is at least as fine as that demonstrated by chitons with eyes. The eyespots of Chiton are smaller and more numerous than the eyes found in other chitons and they are separated by angles of <0.5 deg, suggesting that the light-influenced behaviors of Chiton may be more accurately predicted by the network properties of their distributed visual system than by the structural properties of their individual light-detecting organs.