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A physiological analysis of color vision in batoid elasmobranchs

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Abstract

The potential for color vision in elasmobranchs has been studied in detail; however, a high degree of variation exists among the group. Evidence for ultraviolet (UV) vision is lacking, despite the presence of UV vision in every other vertebrate class. An integrative physiological approach was used to investigate color and ultraviolet vision in cownose rays and yellow stingrays, two batoids that inhabit different spectral environments. Both species had peaks in UV, short, medium, and long wavelength spectral regions in dark-, light-, and chromatic-adapted electroretinograms. Although no UV cones were found with microspectrophotometric analysis, both rays had multiple cone visual pigments with λ max at 470 and 551 nm in cownose rays (Rhinoptera bonasus) and 475, 533, and 562 nm in yellow stingrays (Urobatis jamaicensis). The same analysis demonstrated that both species had rod λ max at 500 and 499 nm, respectively. The lens and cornea of cownose rays maximally transmitted wavelengths greater than 350 nm and greater than 376 nm in yellow stingrays. These results support the potential for color vision in these species and future investigations should reveal the extent to which color discrimination is significant in a behavioral context.

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Abbreviations

DW:

Disc width

ERG:

Electroretinogram

FWHM:

Full width at half maximum

LWS:

Long wavelength sensitive pigment

MSP:

Microspectrophotometry

MWS:

Medium wavelength sensitive pigment

SWS:

Short wavelength sensitive pigment

T 0.5 :

Wavelength at 0.5 normalized transmittance

UV:

Ultraviolet

λ max :

Wavelength of maximum absorbance

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank the FAU Elasmobranch Research Laboratory, J. DelBene, J. Gardiner, and J. Morris for collection, husbandry, and technical support, and N. Hart, C. Luer, A. Stamper, R. Brill, A. Horodysky, D. Fahy, and A. Henningson for logistical support and advice. Funding was awarded to CNB by the American Elasmobranch Society Student Research Award and Mollet Elasmobranch Research Award, Sigma Xi Grants-in-Aid of Research, and FAU Graduate College Newell Doctoral Fellowship. All experiments were conducted in accordance with Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) approved protocols from Florida Atlantic University (A09-25, A12-11, A12-33) and Mote Marine Laboratory (12-09-SK1).

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Author notes

  1. Christine N. Bedore

    Present address: Biology Department, Duke University, Box 90338, Durham, NC, 27708, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biological Sciences, Florida Atlantic University, 777 Glades Road, Boca Raton, FL, 33431, USA

    Christine N. Bedore & Stephen M. Kajiura

  2. College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA

    Ellis R. Loew

  3. Oceanographic Center, Nova Southeastern University, Dania Beach, FL, USA

    Tamara M. Frank

  4. Center for Shark Research, Mote Marine Laboratory, Sarasota, FL, 34236, USA

    Robert E. Hueter

  5. Ocean Classrooms, Boulder, CO, USA

    D. Michelle McComb

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  1. Christine N. Bedore
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Correspondence to Christine N. Bedore.

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Bedore, C.N., Loew, E.R., Frank, T.M. et al. A physiological analysis of color vision in batoid elasmobranchs. J Comp Physiol A 199, 1129–1141 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00359-013-0855-1

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