The spectral sensitivity of the lens eyes of a box jellyfish, Tripedalia cystophora (Conant).
J Exp Biol
; 209(Pt 19): 3758-65, 2006 Oct.
Article
in En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-16985192
ABSTRACT
Box jellyfish, or cubomedusae (class Cubozoa), are unique among the Cnidaria in possessing lens eyes similar in morphology to those of vertebrates and cephalopods. Although these eyes were described over 100 years ago, there has been no work done on their electrophysiological responses to light. We used an electroretinogram (ERG) technique to measure spectral sensitivity of the lens eyes of the Caribbean species Tripedalia cystophora. The cubomedusae have two kinds of lens eyes, the lower and upper lens eyes. We found that both lens eye types have similar spectral sensitivities, which likely result from the presence of a single receptor type containing a single opsin. The peak sensitivity is to blue-green light. Visual pigment template fits indicate a vitamin A-1 based opsin with peak sensitivity near 500 nm for both eye types.
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Collection:
01-internacional
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Rod Opsins
/
Photoreceptor Cells, Invertebrate
/
Cubozoa
/
Lens, Crystalline
Type of study:
Diagnostic_studies
Limits:
Animals
Language:
En
Journal:
J Exp Biol
Year:
2006
Document type:
Article
Affiliation country:
Estados Unidos