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Spectral sensitivity, luminous sensitivity, and temporal resolution of the visual systems in three sympatric temperate coastal shark species

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Abstract

We used electroretinography (ERG) to determine spectral and luminous sensitivities, and the temporal resolution (flicker fusion frequency, FFF) in three sympatric (but phylogenetically distant) coastal shark species: Carcharhinus plumbeus (sandbar shark), Mustelus canis (smooth dogfish), and Squalus acanthias (spiny dogfish). Spectral sensitivities were similar (range ~400–600 nm, peak sensitivity ~470 nm), with a high likelihood of rod/cone dichromacy enhancing contrast discrimination. Spiny dogfish were significantly less light sensitive than the other species, whereas their FFF was ~19 Hz at maximum intensities; a value equal to that of sandbar shark and significantly above that of smooth dogfish (~9–12 Hz). This occurred even though experiments on spiny dogfish were conducted at 12 versus 25 °C and 20 °C for experiments on sandbar shark and smooth dogfish, respectively. Although spiny dogfish have a rod-dominated retina (rod:cone ratio 50:1), their visual system appears to have evolved for a relatively high temporal resolution (i.e., high FFF) through a short integration time, with the requisite concomitant reduction in luminous sensitivity. Our results suggest adaptive plasticity in the temporal resolution of elasmobranch visual systems which reflects the importance of the ability to track moving objects such as mates, predators, or prey.

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Abbreviations

AIC:

Akaike’s information criterion

ERG:

Electroretinography

FFF:

Flicker fusion frequency

LLI:

Log light intensity

MSP:

Microspectrophotometry

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Acknowledgments

All animal capture, care, and experimental protocols complied with relevant laws of the United States and were approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committees of the College of William and Mary, Nova Southeastern University, and the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth. The authors thank the staff at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science—Eastern Shore Laboratory for their continuing hospitality and help in acquiring sandbar sharks and smooth dogfish, D. Bernal (University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth) for making it possible to perform experiments on spiny dogfish, and L. Litherland for her support and discussions regarding experimental design, execution, and data analysis. M. Kalinoski’s participation was funded in part by a scholarship from the South Florida Chapter of the Explorer’s Club. This paper is contribution 3409 from the Virginia Institute of Marine Science, College of William & Mary. The opinions expressed herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the U.S. Department of Commerce—National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) or any of its subagencies. Mention of trade names, products, or commercial companies is for identification purposes only and likewise does not imply endorsement by NOAA or any of its subagencies.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Oceanographic Center, Nova Southeastern University, 8000 N. Ocean Drive, Dania Beach, FL, 33004, USA

    Mieka Kalinoski & Amy Hirons

  2. Department of Marine and Environmental Science, Hampton University, 100 Queen Street, Hampton, VA, 23668, USA

    Andrij Horodysky

  3. National Marine Fisheries Service, Northeast Fisheries Science Center, James J. Howard Marine Sciences Laboratory, 74 Magruder Road, Sandy Hook, Highlands, NJ, 07732, USA

    Richard Brill

  4. VIMS, PO Box 1346, Gloucester Point, VA, 23062, USA

    Richard Brill

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  1. Mieka Kalinoski
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Correspondence to Richard Brill.

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Kalinoski, M., Hirons, A., Horodysky, A. et al. Spectral sensitivity, luminous sensitivity, and temporal resolution of the visual systems in three sympatric temperate coastal shark species. J Comp Physiol A 200, 997–1013 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00359-014-0950-y

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