title: Photonic crystal light collectors in fish retina improve vision in turbid water.
abstract: Despite their diversity, vertebrate retinae are specialized to maximize either photon catch or visual acuity. Here, we describe a functional type that is optimized for neither purpose. In the retina of the elephantnose fish (Gnathonemus petersii), cone photoreceptors are grouped together within reflecting, photonic crystal-lined cups acting as macroreceptors, but rod photoreceptors are positioned behind these reflectors. This unusual arrangement matches rod and cone sensitivity for detecting color-mixed stimuli, whereas the photoreceptor grouping renders the fish insensitive to spatial noise; together, this enables more reliable flight reactions in the fish's dim and turbid habitat as compared with fish lacking this retinal specialization.
authors: Cavendish Laboratory, Department of Physics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB3 0HE, UK.
authors: Moritz
authors: M
authors: Kreysing
authors: Roland
authors: R
authors: Pusch
authors: Dorothee
authors: D
authors: Haverkate
authors: Meik
authors: M
authors: Landsberger
authors: Jacob
authors: J
authors: Engelmann
authors: Janina
authors: J
authors: Ruiter
authors: Carlos
authors: C
authors: Mora-Ferrer
authors: Elke
authors: E
authors: Ulbricht
authors: Jens
authors: J
authors: Grosche
authors: Kristian
authors: K
authors: Franze
authors: Stefan
authors: S
authors: Streif
authors: Sarah
authors: S
authors: Schumacher
authors: Felix
authors: F
authors: Makarov
authors: Johannes
authors: J
authors: Kacza
authors: Jochen
authors: J
authors: Guck
authors: Hartwig
authors: H
authors: Wolburg
authors: James K
authors: JK
authors: Bowmaker
authors: Gerhard
authors: G
authors: von der Emde
authors: Stefan
authors: S
authors: Schuster
authors: Hans-Joachim
authors: HJ
authors: Wagner
authors: Andreas
authors: A
authors: Reichenbach
authors: Mike
authors: M
authors: Francke
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005399:Fishes / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology*; D006054:Goldfish; D008027:Light; D020419:Photoreceptor Cells, Vertebrate / Q000502:physiology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D011235:Predatory Behavior; D012160:Retina / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D014785:Vision, Ocular