Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 30, 2026
09:29
A Standardized Obstacle Course for Assessment of Visual Function in Ultra Low Vision and Artificial Vision
Published on: February 11, 2014
13.5K
Seeing red: color vision in the largemouth bass
Lisa D Mitchem1, Shannon Stanis1, Muchu Zhou1
1Department of Animal Biology, School of Integrative Biology, University of Illinois, Champaign, IL, USA.
Current Zoology
|January 31, 2019
Summary
Largemouth bass have dichromatic vision, meaning they use color cues for decisions. They can distinguish red and green from other colors, aiding in behaviors like foraging and mating.
Area of Science:
- Ichthyology
- Vision Science
- Animal Behavior
Background:
- Animal visual perception is crucial for ecological behaviors like predation, foraging, and mating.
- Understanding the visual system of fish, such as largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides), provides insight into their environmental interactions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the visual system properties and color perception of largemouth bass.
- To model and behaviorally test the color perception capabilities of largemouth bass.
Main Methods:
- Documenting photoreceptor spectral sensitivity (single cones at 535 nm, twin cones at 614 nm, rods at 528 nm).
- Developing a visual perception model based on photoreceptor data.
- Conducting behavioral assays to test the model's predictions on color discrimination.
Main Results:
- The visual model predicted difficulty distinguishing chartreuse yellow from white and green from blue.
- Behavioral trials showed largemouth bass could discern red and green from other colors, especially when brightness was similar.
- Bass demonstrated the ability to use chromatic cues in visual decision-making.
Conclusions:
- Largemouth bass possess dichromatic vision.
- Chromatic cues play a role in the visual-based decisions of largemouth bass.
- This research enhances understanding of fish visual ecology and behavior.
Related Concept Videos
01:24Color Vision
1.5K
Color perception begins in the retina, the light-sensitive layer at the back of the eye. Two main theories explain how colors are seen: the trichromatic theory and the opponent-process theory. The trichromatic theory, proposed by Thomas Young in 1802 and extended by Hermann von Helmholtz in 1852, suggests that color vision is based on three types of cone receptors in the retina. These cones are sensitive to different but overlapping ranges of wavelengths corresponding to red, blue, and green.
1.5K
01:24Vision
60.0K
Vision is the result of light being detected and transduced into neural signals by the retina of the eye. This information is then further analyzed and interpreted by the brain. First, light enters the front of the eye and is focused by the cornea and lens onto the retina—a thin sheet of neural tissue lining the back of the eye. Because of refraction through the convex lens of the eye, images are projected onto the retina upside-down and reversed.
60.0K
03:02Colors and Magnetism
14.1K
Color in Coordination Complexes
When atoms or molecules absorb light at the proper frequency, their electrons are excited to higher-energy orbitals. For many main group atoms and molecules, the absorbed photons are in the ultraviolet range of the electromagnetic spectrum, which cannot be detected by the human eye. For coordination compounds, the energy difference between the d orbitals often allows photons in the visible range to be absorbed and emitted, which is seen as colors by the human...
When atoms or molecules absorb light at the proper frequency, their electrons are excited to higher-energy orbitals. For many main group atoms and molecules, the absorbed photons are in the ultraviolet range of the electromagnetic spectrum, which cannot be detected by the human eye. For coordination compounds, the energy difference between the d orbitals often allows photons in the visible range to be absorbed and emitted, which is seen as colors by the human...
14.1K
01:23Red Algae
920
Red algae, also known as rhodophytes, are primarily found in marine environments, though some species inhabit freshwater and terrestrial ecosystems. These organisms exist in both unicellular and multicellular forms, with some multicellular varieties reaching macroscopic sizes.As phototrophic organisms, red algae contain chlorophyll a; however, their chloroplasts lack chlorophyll b. Instead, they possess phycobiliproteins, which serve as major light-harvesting pigments, similar to those found in...
920
01:15Depth Perception and Spatial Vision
2.0K
Depth perception is the ability to perceive objects three-dimensionally. It relies on two types of cues: binocular and monocular. Binocular cues depend on the combination of images from both eyes and how the eyes work together. Since the eyes are in slightly different positions, each eye captures a slightly different image. This disparity between images, known as binocular disparity, helps the brain interpret depth. When the brain compares these images, it determines the distance to an object.
2.0K
01:14Changes in Skin Color: Clinical Perspectives
3.5K
The first thing a clinician sees is the skin, so the examination of the skin should be part of any thorough physical examination. Most skin disorders are relatively benign, but a few, including melanomas, can be fatal if untreated. A couple of the more noticeable disorders, albinism and vitiligo, affect the appearance of the skin and its accessory organs.
Albinism
Albinism is a genetic disorder that affects (completely or partially) the coloring of skin, hair, and eyes. The defect is primarily...
Albinism
Albinism is a genetic disorder that affects (completely or partially) the coloring of skin, hair, and eyes. The defect is primarily...
3.5K