Functional differences between the extraordinary eyes of deep-sea hyperiid amphipods

Anna-Lee Jessop; Zahra M Bagheri; Julian C Partridge; Karen J Osborn; Jan M Hemmi

doi:10.1098/rspb.2024.0239

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Functional differences between the extraordinary eyes of deep-sea hyperiid amphipods

Journal article

Open access

Peer reviewed

Functional differences between the extraordinary eyes of deep-sea hyperiid amphipods

Anna-Lee Jessop, Zahra M Bagheri, Julian C Partridge, Karen J Osborn and Jan M Hemmi

Proceedings of the Royal Society. B, Biological sciences, Vol.291(2023), 20240239

2024

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2024.0239

PMID: 38808445

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Abstract

low light vision

spatial summation

midwater adaptations

retinal topography

visual field

The ocean's midwater is a uniquely challenging yet predictable and simple visual environment. The need to see without being seen in this dim, open habitat has led to extraordinary visual adaptations. To understand these adaptations, we compared the morphological and functional differences between the eyes of three hyperiid amphipods—Hyperia galba, Streetsia challengeri and Phronima sedentaria. Combining micro-CT data with computational modelling, we mapped visual field topography and predicted detection distances for visual targets viewed in different directions through mesopelagic depths. Hyperia's eyes provide a wide visual field optimized for spatial vision over short distances, while Phronima's and Streetsia's eyes have the potential to achieve greater sensitivity and longer detection distances using spatial summation. These improvements come at the cost of smaller visual fields, but this loss is compensated for by a second pair of eyes in Phronima and by behaviour in Streetsia. The need to improve sensitivity while minimizing visible eye size to maintain crypsis has likely driven the evolution of hyperiid eye diversity. Our results provide an integrative look at how these elusive animals have adapted to the unique visual challenges of the mesopelagic.

Details

Title: Functional differences between the extraordinary eyes of deep-sea hyperiid amphipods
Authors/Creators: Anna-Lee Jessop - The University of Western Australia
Zahra M Bagheri - The University of Western Australia
Julian C Partridge - The University of Western Australia
Karen J Osborn - Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute
Jan M Hemmi - The University of Western Australia
Publication Details: Proceedings of the Royal Society. B, Biological sciences, Vol.291(2023), 20240239
Identifiers: 991005672769907891
Murdoch Affiliation: School of Mathematics, Statistics, Chemistry and Physics
Language: English
Resource Type: Journal article

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Collaboration types: Domestic collaboration; International collaboration
Citation topics: 3 Agriculture, Environment & Ecology; 3.2 Marine Biology; 3.2.1032 Marine Zooplankton
Web Of Science research areas: Biology; Ecology; Evolutionary Biology
ESI research areas: Plant & Animal Science