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Some optical features of the eyes of stomatopods

I. Eye shape, optical axes and resolution

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Abstract

The optics of a variety of stomatopod eyes has been investigated using goniometric eye-mapping techniques and anatomical measurements. The species examined come from 3 of the 4 existing superfamilies: the Gonodactyloidea, Lysiosquilloidea and Squilloidea. This paper examines acuity, optical axes and general features of eye shape. Stomatopod eyes are divided into 3 clearly distinct zones; the mid-band and two hemispheres. Each hemisphere consists of an edge region, a “visual streak” and a near mid-band region. The optical axes of many ommatidia from both hemispheres are skewed inwards towards the centrally placed mid-band and are rarely normal to the corneal surface. The large skew angle enables each hemisphere to examine an area which extensively overlaps that of the other hemisphere. As a result monocular distance judgement is possible. Most of the ommatidia in each hemisphere are part of a horizontally aligned but vertically acute “visual streak” area. There is one “visual streak” per hemisphere and both look into the same 5–10° strip. This narrow strip is also the area in space the mid-band ommatidia examine. An acute zone is present in the eyes of lysiosquilloid and gonodactyloid stomatopods and includes ommatidia, from both the hemispheres and the mid-band. Here inter-ommatidial angles, especially those in the horizontal direction, are reduced. Acute zone facets are enlarged to increase sensitivity rather than aid spatial resolution.

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Abbreviations

AZ:

Acute Zone

MB:

Mid-band

D :

Corneal facet diameter, as MB facets are asymmetrical, values for width and height of each facet are given

DH:

dorsal hemisphere

f :

Focal length of each ommatidium, estimated from the centre of the corneal lens to the tip of the rhabdom

NeMB:

Near mid-band ommatidia

R :

Resolving power=1/2ΔΦaverage

Rh :

Horizontal resolving power=1/2ΔΦh

Rv :

Vertical resolving power=1/2ΔΦv

VH:

ventral hemisphere

Δρ:

Geometrical acceptance angle (a/f×57.3) of each ommatidium

ΔΦh :

Horizontal inter-ommatidial angle, between facets along a row

ΔΦv :

Vertical inter-ommatidial angle, between rows; Superfamily Gonodactyloidea

g.c. :

Gonodactylus chiragra

O.s. :

Odontodactylus scyllarus

H.e. :

Hemisquilla ensigera; Superfamily Lysiosquilloidea

L.t. :

Lysiosquilla tredecimdentata

C.s. :

Coronis scolopendra; Superfamily Squilloidea

O.o. :

Oratosquilla solicitans

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Sussex Centre for Neuroscience, School of Biological Sciences, University of Sussex, BN1 9QG, Brighton, UK

    N. J. Marshall & M. F. Land

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  1. N. J. Marshall
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  2. M. F. Land
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Marshall, N.J., Land, M.F. Some optical features of the eyes of stomatopods. J Comp Physiol A 173, 565–582 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00197765

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