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Some optical features of the eyes of stomatopods

II. Ommatidial design, sensitivity and habitat

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Abstract

Anatomical dimensions of individual ommatidia from various regions in the eyes of six species of stomatopod have been measured. Using these measurements, estimates of the sensitivity and acceptance angle of each ommatidium were calculated. The relationship between sensitivity distribution in various eye regions and habitat was examined. There is a good correlation between the sensitivity of eyes in the six species examined and their habitat or activity cycle. Animals living in deeper or more turbid water, or which are often active at night possess eyes with relatively high sensitivity. Ommatidia in six-row mid-bands are more sensitive than those in surrounding eye regions. This is achieved by enlarging ommatidial size or decreasing focal length. Increased light capture is necessary in these rows as they contain dense intrarhabdomal filters and tiered rhabdoms which drastically attenuate light as it passes down the rhabdom. Acute zone facets are larger, also for additional sensitivity. The way the image is sampled was studied by comparing acceptance angles to inter-ommatidial angles, measured previously. In most eye regions of most eyes these angles are matched. Where this is not the case (in the mid-band, near mid-band regions and the edge of the eye) an explanation can be found in the function of the region involved, or that of the closely adjacent regions.

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Abbreviations

AZ:

Acute Zone

MB:

Mid-band

R8:

Rhabdomere 8

R1-7:

Rhabdomeres 1–7

DR1-7:

Distal rhabdomeres 1–7 (Marshall et al. 1991)

PR 1–7:

Proximal rhabdomeres 1–7

F1:

Proximal filter (Marshall et al. 1991)

F2:

Distal filter

DH:

Dorsal hemisphere

VH:

Ventral hemisphere

D :

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

f :

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

a :

Diameter of the aperture at the rhabdom tip. This is often less than the rhabdom diameter

l :

Length of rhabdom or tier

d :

Diameter of rhabdom or filter, maximum for each tier

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

S :

Sen-sitivity of a rhabdom (in μm2) calculated as: S=(π/4)2(D/f)2d2(1−e−kl)

k=0.008:

the approximate fraction of light absorbed, at receptor peak wavelength, in 1 μm of rhabdom (Cronin and Marshall 1989b)

R:

Resolving power=1/2ΔΦaverage

Rh :

Horizontal resolving power=1/2ΔΦh

Rv :

Vertical resolving power=1/2ΔΦv

NeMB:

Near mid-band ommatidia

G.c. :

Gonodactylus chiragra

O.s. :

Odontodactylus scyllarus

H.e. :

Hemisquilla ensigera

L.t. :

Lysiosquilla tredecimdentata

C.s. :

Coronis scolopendra

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, 583–594 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00197766

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