Document Detail


Behavioural relevance of polarization sensitivity as a target detection mechanism in cephalopods and fishes.
MedLine Citation:
PMID:  21282177     Owner:  NLM     Status:  MEDLINE    
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
Aquatic habitats are rich in polarized patterns that could provide valuable information about the environment to an animal with a visual system sensitive to polarization of light. Both cephalopods and fishes have been shown to behaviourally respond to polarized light cues, suggesting that polarization sensitivity (PS) may play a role in improving target detection and/or navigation/orientation. However, while there is general agreement concerning the presence of PS in cephalopods and some fish species, its functional significance remains uncertain. Testing the role of PS in predator or prey detection seems an excellent paradigm with which to study the contribution of PS to the sensory assets of both groups, because such behaviours are critical to survival. We developed a novel experimental set-up to deliver computer-generated, controllable, polarized stimuli to free-swimming cephalopods and fishes with which we tested the behavioural relevance of PS using stimuli that evoke innate responses (such as an escape response from a looming stimulus and a pursuing behaviour of a small prey-like stimulus). We report consistent responses of cephalopods to looming stimuli presented in polarization and luminance contrast; however, none of the fishes tested responded to either the looming or the prey-like stimuli when presented in polarization contrast.
Authors:
Vincenzo Pignatelli; Shelby E Temple; Tsyr-Huei Chiou; Nicholas W Roberts; Shaun P Collin; N Justin Marshall
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Publication Detail:
Type:  In Vitro; Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't    
Journal Detail:
Title:  Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological sciences     Volume:  366     ISSN:  1471-2970     ISO Abbreviation:  Philos. Trans. R. Soc. Lond., B, Biol. Sci.     Publication Date:  2011 Mar 
Date Detail:
Created Date:  2011-02-01     Completed Date:  2011-07-13     Revised Date:  2012-03-12    
Medline Journal Info:
Nlm Unique ID:  7503623     Medline TA:  Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci     Country:  England    
Other Details:
Languages:  eng     Pagination:  734-41     Citation Subset:  IM    
Affiliation:
Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Saint Lucia, Queensland 4104, Australia. v.pignatelli@uq.edu.au
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MeSH Terms
Descriptor/Qualifier:
Animals
Cephalopoda / physiology*
Fishes / physiology*
Light*
Predatory Behavior / physiology*
Spectrophotometry
Video Recording
Vision, Ocular / physiology*

From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine


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