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Limulus vision in the ocean day and night: Effects of image size and contrast

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 June 2009

E. D. Herzog ,
M. K. Powers  and
R. B. Barlow Jr
E. D. Herzog
Affiliation:
Department of Bioengineering and Neuroscience, Syracuse University, Syracuse
M. K. Powers
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville
R. B. Barlow Jr
Affiliation:
Department of Bioengineering and Neuroscience, Syracuse University, Syracuse
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Abstract

Male horseshoe crabs, Limulus polyphemus, use their eyes to locate mates day and night. We investigated their ability to detect targets of different size and contrast in a mating area of Buzzards Bay, Cape Cod, MA. We found that males can see large, high-contrast targets better than small, low-contrast ones. For targets of the same size, animals must be about 0.1 m closer to a low-contrast target to see it as well as a high-contrast one. For targets of the same contrast, animals must be approximately 0.2 m closer to a small target to see it as well as one twice as large. A decrease of 0.05 steradians in the size of the retinal image of a target can be compensated by a four-fold increase in contrast. About 60% of the animals detect black targets subtending 0.110 steradians (equivalent to an adult female viewed from about 0.56 m), while only 20% detect targets subtending 0.039 steradians. This study shows that horseshoe crabs maintain about constant contrast sensitivity under diurnal changes in light intensity in their natural environment. As a consequence of circadian and adaptive mechanisms in the retina, male horseshoe crabs can detect female-size objects about equally well day and night.

Keywords

Circadian rhythmRetinal adaptationVisual sensitivityHorseshoe crabContrast sensitivity
Type
Research Articles
Information
Visual Neuroscience , Volume 13 , Issue 1 , January 1996 , pp. 31 - 41
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1996

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