Cuttlefish use polarization sensitivity in predation on silvery fish

Nadav Shashar; Roland Hagan; Jean G. Boal; Roger T. Hanlon

doi:10.1016/S0042-6989(99)00158-3

Cuttlefish use polarization sensitivity in predation on silvery fish

Nadav Shashar, Roland Hagan, Jean G. Boal, Roger T. Hanlon

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

138 Scopus citations

Abstract

Cephalopods are sensitive to the linear polarization characteristics of light. To examine if this polarization sensitivity plays a role in the predatory behavior of cuttlefish, we examined the preference of Sepia officinalis when presented with fish whose polarization reflection was greatly reduced versus fish whose polarization reflection was not affected. Cuttlefish preyed preferably on fish with normal polarization reflection over fish that did not reflect linearly polarized light (n=24, χ²=17.3, P<0.0001), implying that polarization sensitivity is used during predation. We suggest that polarization vision is used to break the countershading camouflage of light-reflecting silvery fish. Copyright (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	71-75
Number of pages	5
Journal	Vision Research
Volume	40
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/S0042-6989(99)00158-3
State	Published - 1 Jan 2000
Externally published	Yes

Keywords

Camouflage
Cephalopods
Countershading
Polarized light
Radiance-matching

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Ophthalmology
Sensory Systems

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10.1016/S0042-6989(99)00158-3

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title = "Cuttlefish use polarization sensitivity in predation on silvery fish",

abstract = "Cephalopods are sensitive to the linear polarization characteristics of light. To examine if this polarization sensitivity plays a role in the predatory behavior of cuttlefish, we examined the preference of Sepia officinalis when presented with fish whose polarization reflection was greatly reduced versus fish whose polarization reflection was not affected. Cuttlefish preyed preferably on fish with normal polarization reflection over fish that did not reflect linearly polarized light (n=24, χ2=17.3, P<0.0001), implying that polarization sensitivity is used during predation. We suggest that polarization vision is used to break the countershading camouflage of light-reflecting silvery fish. Copyright (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd.",

keywords = "Camouflage, Cephalopods, Countershading, Polarized light, Radiance-matching",

author = "Nadav Shashar and Roland Hagan and Boal, {Jean G.} and Hanlon, {Roger T.}",

note = "Funding Information: We thank Janice S. Hanley, William N. Mebane and Geoff Till for help in culturing the cuttlefish, Dr Rudolf Oldenbourg for assistance with the use of the Pol Scope, and Dr Michael R. Maxwell and two anonymous reviewers for comments that greatly improved this manuscript. This study was supported by NSF Grant IBN 9729598. NS was partly supported by a welcome fund from the Israeli Ministry of Immigrant Absorption.",

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doi = "10.1016/S0042-6989(99)00158-3",

language = "English",

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T1 - Cuttlefish use polarization sensitivity in predation on silvery fish

AU - Shashar, Nadav

AU - Hagan, Roland

AU - Boal, Jean G.

AU - Hanlon, Roger T.

N1 - Funding Information: We thank Janice S. Hanley, William N. Mebane and Geoff Till for help in culturing the cuttlefish, Dr Rudolf Oldenbourg for assistance with the use of the Pol Scope, and Dr Michael R. Maxwell and two anonymous reviewers for comments that greatly improved this manuscript. This study was supported by NSF Grant IBN 9729598. NS was partly supported by a welcome fund from the Israeli Ministry of Immigrant Absorption.

PY - 2000/1/1

Y1 - 2000/1/1

N2 - Cephalopods are sensitive to the linear polarization characteristics of light. To examine if this polarization sensitivity plays a role in the predatory behavior of cuttlefish, we examined the preference of Sepia officinalis when presented with fish whose polarization reflection was greatly reduced versus fish whose polarization reflection was not affected. Cuttlefish preyed preferably on fish with normal polarization reflection over fish that did not reflect linearly polarized light (n=24, χ2=17.3, P<0.0001), implying that polarization sensitivity is used during predation. We suggest that polarization vision is used to break the countershading camouflage of light-reflecting silvery fish. Copyright (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd.

AB - Cephalopods are sensitive to the linear polarization characteristics of light. To examine if this polarization sensitivity plays a role in the predatory behavior of cuttlefish, we examined the preference of Sepia officinalis when presented with fish whose polarization reflection was greatly reduced versus fish whose polarization reflection was not affected. Cuttlefish preyed preferably on fish with normal polarization reflection over fish that did not reflect linearly polarized light (n=24, χ2=17.3, P<0.0001), implying that polarization sensitivity is used during predation. We suggest that polarization vision is used to break the countershading camouflage of light-reflecting silvery fish. Copyright (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd.

KW - Camouflage

KW - Cephalopods

KW - Countershading

KW - Polarized light

KW - Radiance-matching

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U2 - 10.1016/S0042-6989(99)00158-3

DO - 10.1016/S0042-6989(99)00158-3

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:0033990744

SN - 0042-6989

VL - 40

SP - 71

EP - 75

JO - Vision Research

JF - Vision Research

IS - 1

ER -

Cuttlefish use polarization sensitivity in predation on silvery fish

Abstract

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

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