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Visual physiology underlying orientation and diel behavior in the sand beach amphipod Talorchestia longicornis.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Cohen, JH; Cronin, TW; Lessios, N; Forward, RB
Published in: The Journal of experimental biology
November 2010

Talitrid amphipods employ vision for zonal recovery behaviors on sand beaches and for entraining circadian activity rhythms. Using a hierarchy of methods, we examined visual spectral and response-intensity functions in Talorchestia longicornis, a species in which orientation and rhythm entrainment are wavelength-specific behaviors. Microspectrophotometry, electroretinogram recording and behavioral assays were used to determine visual pigments, retinal spectral sensitivity and whole-animal spectral responsivity, respectively. Diel changes in absolute sensitivity were also investigated at retinal and whole-animal levels. Two receptor spectral classes were identified, with values for visual pigment λ(max) of 427 and 518 nm. Retinal spectral sensitivity varied with electrode position along the distal-proximal axis. Chromatic adaptation of distal and proximal photoreceptors resulted in sensitivity peaks at 430 and 522 nm, respectively. In accordance with identified visual pigments and spectral sensitivity, T. longicornis photobehavioral responsivity covered a broad range (420-580 nm). Collectively, a dual-pigment visual system underlies wavelength-specific behavior in T. longicornis, with the short-wavelength pigment likely to be localized in the distal R5 retinular cell. While response-intensity functions did not change over the diel cycle at the retinal level, behavioral photoresponsiveness varied between day and night. At a wavelength used by T. longicornis for celestial orientation (420 nm), photobehavior was heightened at night, potentially aiding in nocturnal orientation. By contrast, at a wavelength used to entrain its circadian rhythm (520 nm) and for routine visual tasks, photobehavior was heightened during the day, and spectral sensitivity matched to the twilight spectrum, facilitating crepuscular vision and entrainment by irradiance at sunrise and sunset.

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Published In

The Journal of experimental biology

DOI

EISSN

1477-9145

ISSN

0022-0949

Publication Date

November 2010

Volume

213

Issue

Pt 22

Start / End Page

3843 / 3851

Related Subject Headings

  • Silicon Dioxide
  • Retinal Pigments
  • Physiology
  • Photoreceptor Cells, Invertebrate
  • Orientation
  • Ocular Physiological Phenomena
  • Microspectrophotometry
  • Environment
  • Electroretinography
  • Dark Adaptation
 

Citation

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Cohen, J. H., Cronin, T. W., Lessios, N., & Forward, R. B. (2010). Visual physiology underlying orientation and diel behavior in the sand beach amphipod Talorchestia longicornis. The Journal of Experimental Biology, 213(Pt 22), 3843–3851. https://doi.org/10.1242/jeb.048686
Cohen, Jonathan H., Thomas W. Cronin, Nicolas Lessios, and Richard B. Forward. “Visual physiology underlying orientation and diel behavior in the sand beach amphipod Talorchestia longicornis.The Journal of Experimental Biology 213, no. Pt 22 (November 2010): 3843–51. https://doi.org/10.1242/jeb.048686.
Cohen JH, Cronin TW, Lessios N, Forward RB. Visual physiology underlying orientation and diel behavior in the sand beach amphipod Talorchestia longicornis. The Journal of experimental biology. 2010 Nov;213(Pt 22):3843–51.
Cohen, Jonathan H., et al. “Visual physiology underlying orientation and diel behavior in the sand beach amphipod Talorchestia longicornis.The Journal of Experimental Biology, vol. 213, no. Pt 22, Nov. 2010, pp. 3843–51. Epmc, doi:10.1242/jeb.048686.
Cohen JH, Cronin TW, Lessios N, Forward RB. Visual physiology underlying orientation and diel behavior in the sand beach amphipod Talorchestia longicornis. The Journal of experimental biology. 2010 Nov;213(Pt 22):3843–3851.
Journal cover image

Published In

The Journal of experimental biology

DOI

EISSN

1477-9145

ISSN

0022-0949

Publication Date

November 2010

Volume

213

Issue

Pt 22

Start / End Page

3843 / 3851

Related Subject Headings

  • Silicon Dioxide
  • Retinal Pigments
  • Physiology
  • Photoreceptor Cells, Invertebrate
  • Orientation
  • Ocular Physiological Phenomena
  • Microspectrophotometry
  • Environment
  • Electroretinography
  • Dark Adaptation