Skip to main content

We use cookies to distinguish you from other users and to provide you with a better experience on our websites. Close this message to accept cookies or find out how to manage your cookie settings.

Close cookie message
Cancel
×
×
Home
  • Home
Article
  • Cited by 78
  • Cited by
    Crossref Citations
    Crossref logo
    This article has been cited by the following publications. This list is generated based on data provided by CrossRef.
    García, Magdalena Tomás, Sabina Robles, Maria Laura Ramos, Alfonso and Segovia, Yolanda 2018. Morphology of the retina in deep-water fish Nezumia sclerorhynchus (Valenciennes, 1838) (Gadiformes: Macrouridae). Acta Zoologica, Vol. 99, Issue. 1, p. 87.
    Joseph, Antony 2017. Investigating Seafloors and Oceans. p. 443.
    Rennison, Diana J. Owens, Gregory L. Heckman, Nancy Schluter, Dolph and Veen, Thor 2016. Rapid adaptive evolution of colour vision in the threespine stickleback radiation. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, Vol. 283, Issue. 1830, p. 20160242.
    Tsutsui, Kenta Shimada, Eriko and Tsuruwaka, Yusuke 2015. Deep-sea anemone (Cnidaria: Actiniaria) exhibits a positive behavioural response to blue light. Marine Biology Research, Vol. 11, Issue. 9, p. 998.
    Sakata, Rie Kabutomori, Ryo Okano, Keiko Mitsui, Hiromasa Takemura, Akihiro Miwa, Tetsuya Yamamoto, Hiroyuki Okano, Toshiyuki and Davies, Wayne Iwan Lee 2015. Rhodopsin in the Dark Hot Sea: Molecular Analysis of Rhodopsin in a Snailfish, Careproctus rhodomelas, Living near the Deep-Sea Hydrothermal Vent. PLOS ONE, Vol. 10, Issue. 8, p. e0135888.
    Harrington, Kelly A. Hrabik, Thomas R. Mensinger, Allen F. and Osorio, Daniel 2015. Visual Sensitivity of Deepwater Fishes in Lake Superior. PLOS ONE, Vol. 10, Issue. 2, p. e0116173.
    HART, Nathan S. and COLLIN, Shaun P. 2015. Sharks senses and shark repellents. Integrative Zoology, Vol. 10, Issue. 1, p. 38.
    Claes, Julien M. Partridge, Julian C. Hart, Nathan S. Garza-Gisholt, Eduardo Ho, Hsuan-Ching Mallefet, Jérôme Collin, Shaun P. and Neuhauss, Stephan C. F. 2014. Photon Hunting in the Twilight Zone: Visual Features of Mesopelagic Bioluminescent Sharks. PLoS ONE, Vol. 9, Issue. 8, p. e104213.
    Lisney, T. J. Theiss, S. M. Collin, S. P. and Hart, N. S. 2012. Vision in elasmobranchs and their relatives: 21st century advances. Journal of Fish Biology, Vol. 80, Issue. 5, p. 2024.
    Rousseau, Karine Aroua, Salima and Dufour, Sylvie 2012. Metamorphosis in Fish.
    Fryer, Geoffrey 2009. Evolution of species flocks of cichlid fishes in African lakes. Journal of Zoological Systematics and Evolutionary Research, Vol. 15, Issue. 2, p. 141.
    Turner, J.R. White, E.M. Collins, M.A. Partridge, J.C. and Douglas, R.H. 2009. Vision in lanternfish (Myctophidae): Adaptations for viewing bioluminescence in the deep-sea. Deep Sea Research Part I: Oceanographic Research Papers, Vol. 56, Issue. 6, p. 1003.
    Munz, F. W. 2008. Ciba Foundation Symposium - Colour Vision: Physiology and Experimental Psychology. p. 27.
    MOSK, VIRGINIA THOMAS, NICOLE HART, NATHAN S. PARTRIDGE, JULIAN C. BEAZLEY, LYN D. and SHAND, JULIA 2007. Spectral sensitivities of the seahorses Hippocampus subelongatus and Hippocampus barbouri and the pipefish Stigmatopora argus. Visual Neuroscience, Vol. 24, Issue. 03, p. 345.
    Hart, Nathan S. and Hunt, David M. 2007. Avian Visual Pigments: Characteristics, Spectral Tuning, and Evolution. The American Naturalist, Vol. 169, Issue. S1, p. S7.
    Robison, Bruce H. 1999. Shape change behavior by mesopelagic animals. Marine and Freshwater Behaviour and Physiology, Vol. 32, Issue. 1, p. 17.
    Douglas, R.H Partridge, J.C and Marshall, N.J 1998. The eyes of deep-sea fish I: Lens pigmentation, tapeta and visual pigments. Progress in Retinal and Eye Research, Vol. 17, Issue. 4, p. 597.
    Douglas, R. H. and Partridge, J. C. 1997. On the visual pigments of deep-sea fish. Journal of Fish Biology, Vol. 50, Issue. 1, p. 68.
    Bowmaker, J.K. 1995. The visual pigments of fish. Progress in Retinal and Eye Research, Vol. 15, Issue. 1, p. 1.
    Widder, E.A. Caimi, F.M. Taylor, L.D. and Tusting, R.F. 1992. Design And Development Of An Autocalibrating Radiometer For Deep Sea Biooptical Studies. Vol. 1, Issue. , p. 525.
    Download full list
    ×
  • Get access
    Add to cart €30.00
    Check if you have access via personal or institutional login
    Log in Register Recommend to librarian

The photosensitive pigments in the retinae of deep-sea fish

  • E. J. Denton (a1) and F. J. Warren (a1)
Extract

Measurements were made on the intact retinae dissected from freshly caught deep-sea fish. The unbleached retinae of such fish are not rose-pink like the retinae of most coastal fish or purple like the retinae of most freshwater fish, but are golden in colour.

The golden colours are of photosensitive pigments which give retinal absorption curves similar in shape to frog's rhodopsin, but with maxima of absorption displaced on the average about 15 mμ. towards the blue end of the spectrum. The names ‘chrysopsins’ or visual golds are suggested for this group of pigments.

The density of such photosensitive pigments is often very high. Retinal density changes on bleaching of more than 1.0 has been found for several deepsea fish. These probably correspond to absolute retinal densities of pigment of about 1.3, i.e. the absorption of 95% of blue-green light striking the retina.

The conger and silver freshwater eels have retinae containing similar golden-coloured pigments. These eels begin their lives in the deep ocean and return there when mature to spawn.

The significance of this type of photosensitive pigment in the vision of deep-sea fish is discussed, and an estimate is made of the depths at which deepsea fish will see daylight.

Copyright
COPYRIGHT: © Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 1957
References
Hide All
Barlow, H., 1956. Retinal noise and absolute threshold. J. opt. Soc. Amer., Vol. 46, pp. 634–9.
Barlow, H., 1957. Purkinje Shift and Retinal Noise. Nature, Lond., Vol. 179, pp. 255–6.
Beebe, W., 1935. Half Mile Down. London: John Lane.
Bridges, C. D. B., 1956. The visual pigments of the Rainbow trout (Salmo irideus). J. Physiol., Vol. 134, pp. 620–9.
Clarke, G. L., 1936. On the depth at which fish can see. Ecology, Vol. 17, pp. 452–6.
Clarke, G. L. & Wertheim, G. K., 1956. Measurements of illumination at great depths and at night in the Atlantic Ocean by means of a new bathyphotometer. Deep-Sea Res., Vol. 3, pp. 189–205.
Dartnall, H. J. A., 1955. Visual pigments of the bleak (Alburnus lucidus). J. Physiol., Vol. 128, pp. 131–56.
Denton, E. J., 1954. Une novelle méthode pour determiner la courbe d'absorption du pourpre rétinien. C.R. Acad. Sci., Paris, T. 239, pp. 1315–6.
Denton, E. J. & Pirenne, M. H., 1954. The absolute sensitivity and functional stability of the human eye. J. Physiol., Vol. 123, pp. 417–42.
Denton, E. J. & Walker, M. A., 1957. The visual pigment of the conger eel. (In preparation.)
Denton, E. J. & Warren, F. J., 1956. Visual pigments of deep sea fish. Nature, Lond., Vol. 178, p. 1059.
Denton, E. J. & Wyllie, J. H., 1955. Study of the photosensitive pigments in the pink and green rods of the frog. J. Physiol., Vol. 127, pp. 81–9.
Jerlov, N. G., 1947–8. Optical studies of ocean waters. Rep. Swedish deep-sea Exped., Vol. 3, Fasc. 1, Physics and Chemistry, pp. 1–59.
Kühne, W., 1878. The Photochemistry of the Retina and on Visual Purple. (Translated by M., Foster.) London: Macmillan.
Le Grand, Y., 1948. Lumière et couleurs. Optique Physiologique, Vol. 2. Paris. Editions de la Revue d'Optique.
Marshall, N. B., 1954. Aspects of Deep Sea Biology. London: Hutchinson's.
Rushton, W. A. H., 1956. The rhodopsin density in the human rods. J. Physiol., Vol. 134, pp. 30–46.
St George, R. C. C, 1952. The interplay of light and heat in bleaching rhodopsin. J. gen. Physiol., Vol. 35, pp. 495–517
Stiles, W. S., 1948. The physical interpretation of the spectral sensitivity curve of the eye. Transactions of the Optical Convention of the Worshipful Company of Spectacle Makers, 1948, pp. 97–107. London.
Wald, G., 1945–6. The chemical evolution of vision. Harvey Lect., Ser. 41, pp. 117–60.
Wald, G., 1938–9. The porphyropsin visual system. J. gen. Physiol., Vol. 22, PP. 775–93
Recommend this journal

Email your librarian or administrator to recommend adding this journal to your organisation's collection.

Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom
  • ISSN: 0025-3154
  • EISSN: 1469-7769
  • URL: /core/journals/journal-of-the-marine-biological-association-of-the-united-kingdom
Please enter your name
Please enter a valid email address
Who would you like to send this to? *

CAPTCHA *

Skip to the audio challenge
×
Cancel
Confirm
×