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Light has many meanings for cephalopods

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 June 2009

J. Z. Young
J. Z. Young
Affiliation:
Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3UD, UK
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Abstract

The uses of light for cephalopods living at various depths are described. Aphakic apertures are shown in the eyes of Amphitretus and bolitaenids. In cirrate octopods, the eye is an open cup without lens and the retinal rhabdoms are disorganized. The photosensitive vesicles of cephalopods are extraocular receptors present either in the mantle or on the head. In some mesopelagic forms, they serve to compare the downwelling light with that emitted by the animal's own photophores, thus allowing regulation of counterillumination. In bathypelagic species, the photosensitive vesicles are very large and may serve to ensure reproduction at great depths.

Some of the uses of the paired eyes in shallow water species are discussed. The mechanism for visual learning consists of a system for allowing many possible combinations of the output from numerous feature detectors. This begins with a set of columns in the optic lobes, followed by a tangential system. Outputs from the optic lobe lead to either attack or retreat: a third output leads to a memory system of four matrices allowing for interaction among the visual signals and between them and signals of taste or pain. These matrices allow conjunctive interaction between particular sets of signals and the setting up of memories ensuring appropriate responses. The matrices may be considered as analogous with those of the mammalian hippocampus. They include re-excitation among themselves and with the optic lobes. The tactile memory apparatus of the octopus has four similar lobes and also makes use of the four lobes of the visual system. These are therefore striking examples of adaptive networks allowing learned reactions by statistical selection among numerous channels. The anatomy, function, and generalizing powers of these networks emerged from Boycotts's early work, whose significance for computation can now be appreciated.

Keywords

Cephalopod visionEyes in deep seaPhotosensitive vesiclesMemory in OctopusAdaptive networks
Type
Research Articles
Information
Visual Neuroscience , Volume 7 , Issue 1-2 , August 1991 , pp. 1 - 12
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1991

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