Mantis Shrimp vision

On February 23, 2020 by paulakb7 With 0 Comments - Conservation, Marine Research

I have been reading a variety of articles on the current and recent research on the colorful Matis shrimp, particularly the Peacock Mantis, Odontodactylus scyllarus. Aside from packing a 50 mph punch, the eyes of this Mantis are the most complex in the animal kingdom. Ben Guardino highlights the research of the University of Maryland Baltimore County biologist, Thomas Cronin (who has studied the vision systems of Mantis shrimp since 1983) in his article for the Washington Post (May 2018)The Amazing eyes of a Mantis shrimp.

Among his significant discoveries are that the Mantis has three “pseudo pupils,” and each of their eyes have independent depth perception with vision beyond humans on both ends of the visible light spectrum, peering into ultraviolet and infrared wavelengths.

In recent research, Ilsa Daly of the University of Bristol suggests we are nowhere close to solving the mystery of the Mantis vision system or why this small crustacean would need such a unique visual system. The more you watch them, the weirder they seem. Their eyes are constantly in motion, up, down, side to side (Daly, 2018), and can function independently. For more on this, see the Washington Post article, https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/speaking-of-science/wp/2018/05/02/this-creature-has-the-oddest-eyes-in-the-animal-kingdom/.

Another article on NewScientist.com by Leah Crane ( Oct 2018) addresses the punch of the Mantis shrimp, equal to the force of a .22 caliber bullet. This is not a result of strength, but the Mantis arms are naturally spring-loaded and work similarly to a bow and arrow, according to Ali Miserez of Nanyang Technological University in Singapore. I found this article on the IFLScience site here, https://www.newscientist.com/article/2182882-mantis-shrimps-punch-with-the-force-of-a-bullet-and-now-we-know-how/.

There are quite a few other interesting articles on this site, as well as fascinating facts about the habits and attributes of other marine and terrestrial animals.

Sea Turtles

On July 21, 2018 by paulakb7 With 1 Comments - Climate, Conservation, Garbage Patches, Marine Research, Uncategorized

 

After researching for a lecture I gave to the Cabrillo Natural History Club, I found incredible information regarding research programs on marine life that is definitely worth sharing.

One example would be the Pygmy Seahorse, a tiny delicate animal that is extremely sensitive to light. They have no eyelids to protect their eyes and are easily be injured by camera flashes or strobe lights. They have become the subjects of current research for their amazing ability to regenerate their retinas. As is the case with many of the animals with whom we share this planet, they have genes activated that we do not. Some of these genes allow them to heal and regenerate in ways that we can not yet understand.

Sea turtles are another example, an animal that lives in the sea though they are an air-breathing reptile. They are contributing to our understanding of our planet and our past by keeping a record of environmental changes in their bones.  Their bones grow in rings much like a tree and the circumstances in their lives are recorded in these concentric rings.

Researchers have been surprised to find their organs don't break down or become less efficient as time passes. They are practically immortal, not dying of old age and we can't guess how long they might live if they did not fall prey to disease, injury or predation. Female turtles don't reach sexual maturity until sometime after 40 or 50 years of age, they could be the animals who mature the latest of any in the world.  Wow!  They are truly interesting and I will continue to look for more new information about these incredible, beautiful animals.

For more information on this research, see the article on NOAA's website. https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/feature-story/sea-turtle-skeletons-hold-clues-conservation.