Summary
Microspectrophotometric and electroretinographic investigation of photoreceptor spectral sensitivity in the rudd Scardinius erythrophthalmus has revealed four spectral classes of cone with peak sensitivity in the ultra-violet, violet, green and red regions of the spectrum. These peak sensitivities were found to vary seasonally, and in response to artificial illumination, as a result of a change in the ratio of A1 to A2-based visual pigment in the cells. Short daylengths favoured the A2 pigment whereas long daylengths favoured the A1 analogue. Both the ultra-violet and violet-sensitive pigments have not previously been reported for the rudd. Evidence is presented supporting the hypothesis that the ultra-violet class of cells is not present in older fish.
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Abbreviations
- rvi :
-
response versus intensity (curve)
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Whitmore, A.V., Bowmaker, J.K. Seasonal variation in cone sensitivity and short-wave absorbing visual pigments in the rudd Scardinius erythrophthalmus . J Comp Physiol A 166, 103–115 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00190215
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00190215