Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

Spectral Sensitivity, Visual Pigments and Screening Pigments in Two Life History Stages of the Ontogenetic Migrator Gnathophausia ingens

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2-2009

Publication Title

Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom

Keywords

Deep-sea, Visual ecology, Crustacean

ISSN

0025-3154

Volume

89

Issue/No.

1

First Page

119

Last Page

129

Abstract

Spectral sensitivity, visual pigment absorbance spectra and visual pigment opsin sequences were examined in younger shallow-living and older deep-living instars of the ontogenetically migrating lophogastrid Gnathophausia ingens. Spectral sensitivity measurements from dark adapted eyes and microspectrophotometric measurements of the rhabdom indicate maximal sensitivity for long wavelength (495-502 nm) light in both life history stages, but the younger instars are significantly more sensitive to near-ultraviolet light than the adults. Both life history stages express the same two opsins, indicating that there is no ontogenetic change in visual pigment complement between life history stages. Chromatic adaptation shifted the spectral sensitivity maximum to significantly longer wavelengths in both age-classes, but a distinct secondary short wavelength peak is visible only in the younger instars. These shifts appear to be due to the presence of migrating screening pigments, which are probably vestigial in the deep-living adults. Anomalies in the response waveforms under chromatic adaptation also apparently result from filtering by screening pigments, but via an unknown mechanism.

Comments

©2009 Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom

Additional Comments

National Science Foundation grant #s: IBN-0343871, IBN-0235820

DOI

10.1017/S0025315408002440

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Peer Reviewed

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