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Wave produced changes in underwater light and their relations to vision

  • Paper from a symposium Behavioral Tactics of Predator and Prey
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Synopsis

Maximal visual sensitivity of most vertebrates and invertebrates coincides with the dominant wave-induced flicker frequencies associated with underwater light. Waves also produce patterns off reflective objects that resemble many of the body markings found on fishes. The close relationship that exists between the physiological properties of spatial and temporal vision thus suggests an ancient adaptation to the wave-induced fluctuations and spatial patterns associated with underwater light.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Section of Ecology and Systematics, Division of Biological Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, 14853-0239, U.S.A.

    William N. McFarland

  2. Section of Physiology, Division of Biological Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, 14853-0313, U.S.A.

    Ellis R. Loew

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  1. William N. McFarland
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  2. Ellis R. Loew
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McFarland, W.N., Loew, E.R. Wave produced changes in underwater light and their relations to vision. Environ Biol Fish 8, 173–184 (1983). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00001083

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00001083

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