Colour vision in coral reef fish

Siebeck, Ulrike E.; Wallis, Guy; Litherland, Lenore

doi:10.1242/jeb.012880

Cited by 71 publications

(93 citation statements)

References 38 publications

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“…The scores represent the number of trials in which the dogs chose corresponding stimuli. p-value was calculated by using the one-tailed binomial test, null hypothesis frequency ¼ 0. to train to recognize visual objects according to their brightness [20][21][22]. Also, distinctive brightness difference does not prevent these animals from learning to recognize objects according to colour.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Colour cues proved to be more informative for dogs than brightness

2013

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The results of early studies on colour vision in dogs led to the conclusion that chromatic cues are unimportant for dogs during their normal activities. Nevertheless, the canine retina possesses two cone types which provide at least the potential for colour vision. Recently, experiments controlling for the brightness information in visual stimuli demonstrated that dogs have the ability to perform chromatic discrimination. Here, we show that for eight previously untrained dogs colour proved to be more informative than brightness when choosing between visual stimuli differing both in brightness and chromaticity. Although brightness could have been used by the dogs in our experiments (unlike previous studies), it was not. Our results demonstrate that under natural photopic lighting conditions colour information may be predominant even for animals that possess only two spectral types of cone photoreceptors.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Colour cues proved to be more informative for dogs than brightness

2013

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“…Nevertheless, the first behavioral evidence of the ability of fishes to discriminate colors is recent in literature (Siebeck et al, 2008). For reef fishes, there are evidences of seasonal color dimorphism between sexes (DeMartini & Sikkel, 2006) and along the ontogeny (Lobel et al, 2009).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Color changing and behavioral context in the Amazonian Dwarf Cichlid Apistogramma hippolytae (Perciformes)

et al. 2009

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Animal coloration has many functions, and fishes are noted among vertebrates for presenting a wide variety of color patterns. Although in marine fishes the relationship between body coloration and behavioral context is well documented, there's not much information about freshwater fishes. Here we describe color patterns displayed by the dwarf cichlid Apistogramma hippolytae and suggest that these patterns are dependent on different social and behavioral settings. Field observations were conducted underwater in a pond in Central Amazonia, Brazil. We recorded six body coloration patterns related to seven different kinds of behavioral activities: foraging, resting, reproductive and agonistic displays, aggression (attacking and fleeing) and parental care. Changes in coloration occur rapidly and take only a few seconds. Females on parental care exhibited a unique pattern that are more persistent and probably manifests more slowly. In the shallow and clear waters of the natural environment of this dwarf cichlid, color communication seems to constitute an efficient way to display information about individual mood, social status and reproductive readiness, contributing to minimize loss of energy in unnecessary interactions.Coloração animal tem diferentes funções, e os peixes se destacam entre os vertebrados por apresentarem uma grande diversidade de padrões de cores. Embora se conheça relativamente bem a relação entre coloração e contexto comportamental para peixes marinhos, pouco se sabe para os peixes de água doce. Nós descrevemos os padrões de coloração de um ciclídeo amazônico, Apistogramma hippolytae, e sugerimos como esses padrões são dependentes das características sociais e comportamentais. Realizamos observações subaquáticas utilizando mergulho livre em campo durante o dia em uma lagoa na Amazônia Central. Nós caracterizamos seis padrões de coloração associados a sete comportamentos diferentes: alimentação, repouso, displays sexual e agonístico, agressão (ataque e fuga) e cuidado parental. As mudanças de coloração levam apenas alguns segundos. Fêmeas em cuidado parental exibem um padrão exclusivo, cuja mudança é mais lenta. No ambiente natural desse ciclídeo, locais rasos com águas claras, a comunicação por coloração pode ser um sistema eficiente de comunicar o estado motivacional individual, status social e disposição para reprodução, possivelmente contribuindo para minimizar a perda de energia com interações desnecessárias.

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“…The giant shovelnose ray inhabits the shallow waters of the IndoPacific up to depths of 100m (Last and Stevens, 2009) and occupies habitats similar to those of teleost fish (Losey et al, 2003;Siebeck et al, 2008) and invertebrates (Marshall et al, 1996) that are also known to utilise colour vision. Therefore, it is perhaps not surprising that this species also employs colour vision.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…If, however, the animals made their choices based on brightness, they should always select either the brightest or darkest of the stimuli in cases of brightness differences, or should not be able to tell the difference in cases of isoluminant stimuli. The four-choice discrimination paradigm used to test for colour vision in G. typus was adapted from previous work on fishes (Neumeyer, 1984;Siebeck et al, 2008). Subsequent to establishing that this species could complete a two-choice task successfully based on prior experiments (not reported here), two rays completed a fourchoice discrimination paradigm.…”

Section: Summary -Experimental Proceduresmentioning

confidence: 99%

Behavioural evidence for colour vision in an elasmobranch

Van-Eyk

Siebeck

Champ

et al. 2011

Journal of Experimental Biology

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SUMMARYLittle is known about the sensory abilities of elasmobranchs (sharks, skates and rays) compared with other fishes. Despite their role as apex predators in most marine and some freshwater habitats, interspecific variations in visual function are especially poorly studied. Of particular interest is whether they possess colour vision and, if so, the role(s) that colour may play in elasmobranch visual ecology. The recent discovery of three spectrally distinct cone types in three different species of ray suggests that at least some elasmobranchs have the potential for functional trichromatic colour vision. However, in order to confirm that these species possess colour vision, behavioural experiments are required. Here, we present evidence for the presence of colour vision in the giant shovelnose ray (Glaucostegus typus) through the use of a series of behavioural experiments based on visual discrimination tasks. Our results show that these rays are capable of discriminating coloured reward stimuli from other coloured (unrewarded) distracter stimuli of variable brightness with a success rate significantly different from chance. This study represents the first behavioural evidence for colour vision in any elasmobranch, using a paradigm that incorporates extensive controls for relative stimulus brightness. The ability to discriminate colours may have a strong selective advantage for animals living in an aquatic ecosystem, such as rays, as a means of filtering out surface-wave-induced flicker.

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Colour vision in coral reef fish

Cited by 71 publications

References 38 publications

Colour cues proved to be more informative for dogs than brightness

Colour cues proved to be more informative for dogs than brightness

Color changing and behavioral context in the Amazonian Dwarf Cichlid Apistogramma hippolytae (Perciformes)

Behavioural evidence for colour vision in an elasmobranch

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