How reef fish see their colourful world: why UV-and red vision are important for damselfish (Pomacentridae)

A test of the species confidence hypothesis in dusky damselfish

“…We considered 2 different color spaces in our analysis, and while we still lack a precise understanding of the visual system of dusky damselfish, our results suggest that the color stimuli successfully elicited different antipredator responses in our subjects. Previous research has explored aspects of the optic systems of various damselfish species ( Hofmann et al 2012 ; Emerling et al 2015 ; Stieb et al 2019 ), but there is still a lack of information concerning the visual system underwater and thus there needs to be a more developed understanding of how most fish (including dusky damselfish) perceive color underwater. More research into visual perception underwater will allow a more precise understanding of how precisely fish perceive conspecifics and heterospecifics.…”

“…Coral reefs are considered to be some of the most colorful ecosystems on the planet ( Stieb et al 2019 ) and coloration plays a large role in both intraspecific and interspecific interactions. Previous research on the diverse color spectrum within coral reefs has suggested that the cues used for identifying predators are primarily visual ( Thresher 1976 ; Katzir 1981 ; Itzkowitz 1990 ).…”

“… Stieb et al (2019) suggested that damselfishes (Pomacentridae) are an ideal family to study visual discrimination in fish because they possess one of the widest ranges of spectral sensitivities of any fish family and often reside on color-diverse coral reefs. There has been previous research on color perception in multiple species of damselfish which has shown they are able to discriminate between different colors ( Phillips 2008 ; Siebeck et al 2008 , 2014 ).…”

“… Siebeck et al (2014) used classical conditioning to train damselfish Pomacentrus amboinensis to discriminate colored patterns for a food reward, a result that was not attributed to color brightness. Additional research on color perception within damselfish has shown that the color spectrum visible to them is similar to that of terrestrial mammals and is wider than many other marine species ( Hofmann et al 2012 ; Emerling et al 2015 ; Stieb et al 2019 ). While damselfish may not perceive colors the same way as humans, research supports that they can and do discriminate between different colors, and that discrimination plays a role in decision-making.…”