Nocturnality constrains morphological and functional diversity in the eyes of reef fishes.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Ambient light levels are often considered to drive the evolution of eye form and function. Diel activity pattern is the main mechanism controlling the visual environment of teleost reef fish, with day-active (diurnal) fish active in well-illuminated conditions, whereas night-active (nocturnal) fish cope with dim light. Physiological optics predicts several specific evolutionary responses to dim-light vision that should be reflected in visual performance features of the eye.

Results

We analyzed a large comparative dataset on morphological traits of the eyes in 265 species of teleost reef fish in 43 different families. The eye morphology of nocturnal reef teleosts is characterized by a syndrome that indicates better light sensitivity, including large relative eye si

SUBMITTER: Schmitz L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3240680 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature