Spectral sensitivity of the two-spotted gobyGobiusculus flavescens(Fabricius): a physiological and behavioural study

Abstract

SUMMARY Microspectrophotometry of Gobiusculus flavescens photoreceptors revealed a single rod visual pigment (λmaxat 508 nm) and the three cone pigments (λmax 456, 531 and 553 nm). The cone population was dominated by identical double cones containing the middle-wave-sensitive (MWS)pigment, but with a small number of non-identical MWS/LWS(long-wave-sensitive) and identical LWS double cones. Small populations of large single cones also contained either the MWS or LWS pigment. The short-wave-sensitive (SWS) pigment was found in small single cones. Lens transmission was great reduced below 410 nm. The spectral sensitivity of the behaviourally determined reaction distance(RD) to prey at a high irradiance level 0.5 μmol m-2s-1) correlated with the maximum sensitivity of the MWS cones, both peaking around 530 nm. However, at a lower irradiance level (0.015 μmol m-2 s-1)such a correlation was not so apparent. The RD was greatly reduced, though still maintaining a peak around 530-550 nm, but with a relatively smaller reduction in RD at shorter wavelengths. Optomotor behaviour displayed a somewhat similar spectral sensitivity to the RD responses at the higher light intensity. However, the peak was at slightly longer wavelengths at 550 nm, suggesting a greater input from LWS cones to the optomotor response.

Seasonal plankton–fish interactions: light regime, prey phenology, and herring foraging

“…The latter value is reasonable in oceanic water at low chlorophyll a levels for 550 nm (see Mobley 1994), the spectral range where fish eyes are most sensitive (e.g., Gobiusculus flavescens [Utne- Palm and Bowmaker 2006]). …”

Towards more efficient longline fisheries: fish feeding behaviour, bait characteristics and development of alternative baits

“…Coastal species have visual pigments with peak absorption in the green part of the spectrum, while the pigments of oceanic and deepwater fish have peak absorption in the blue (Denton and Warren 1956;Munz and McFarland 1977). Studies have shown that a small shift in the peak wavelength of the available light can have significant effects on prey detection (Utne-Palm and Bowmaker 2006).…”

Red fluorescence increases with depth in reef fishes, supporting a visual function, not UV protection

“…The visual contrast hypothesis , however, offers an attractive alternative for fish in the stenospectral zone. Many marine fishes possess photoreceptors with sensitivities extending into the long-wavelength part of the ambient spectrum, including families with many fluorescent representatives such as wrasses [40], pipefish [41] and gobies [8,42]. Hence, such species seem ideally adapted to use and perceive red fluorescence, as already suggested for the neon pygmy goby [8] and shown experimentally in the fairy wrasse Cirrhilabrus solorensis [43].…”