Double cones are used for colour discrimination in the reef fish, Rhinecanthus aculeatus.
Double cones (DCs) are the most common cone types in fish, reptiles and birds. It has been suggested that DCs are used for achromatic tasks such as luminance, motion and polarization vision. Here we show that a reef fish Rhinecanthus aculeatus can discriminate colours on the basis of the difference between the signals of individual members of DCs. This is the first direct evidence that individual members of DCs are used in colour vision as independent spectral channels.
Pignatelli
Vincenzo
V
Queensland Brain Institute, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia.
Champ
Conor
C
Marshall
Justin
J
Vorobyev
Misha
M
D000818:Animals; D055253:Color Vision / Q000502:physiology*; D004193:Discrimination Learning / Q000502:physiology; D008954:Models, Biological; D017949:Retinal Cone Photoreceptor Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology*; D023721:Tetraodontiformes / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology*