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Ultraviolet filters in stomatopod crustaceans : diversity, ecology and evolution

Bok, Michael J LU ; Porter, Megan L and Cronin, Thomas W (2015) In The Journal of experimental biology 218(13). p.66-2055
Abstract

Stomatopod crustaceans employ unique ultraviolet (UV) optical filters in order to tune the spectral sensitivities of their UV-sensitive photoreceptors. In the stomatopod species Neogonodactylus oerstedii, we previously found four filter types, produced by five distinct mycosporine-like amino acid pigments in the crystalline cones of their specialized midband ommatidial facets. This UV-spectral tuning array produces receptors with at least six distinct spectral sensitivities, despite expressing only two visual pigments. Here, we present a broad survey of these UV filters across the stomatopod order, examining their spectral absorption properties in 21 species from seven families in four superfamilies. We found that UV filters are present... (More)

Stomatopod crustaceans employ unique ultraviolet (UV) optical filters in order to tune the spectral sensitivities of their UV-sensitive photoreceptors. In the stomatopod species Neogonodactylus oerstedii, we previously found four filter types, produced by five distinct mycosporine-like amino acid pigments in the crystalline cones of their specialized midband ommatidial facets. This UV-spectral tuning array produces receptors with at least six distinct spectral sensitivities, despite expressing only two visual pigments. Here, we present a broad survey of these UV filters across the stomatopod order, examining their spectral absorption properties in 21 species from seven families in four superfamilies. We found that UV filters are present in three of the four superfamilies, and evolutionary character reconstruction implies that at least one class of UV filter was present in the ancestor of all modern stomatopods. Additionally, postlarval stomatopods were observed to produce the UV filters simultaneously alongside development of the adult eye. The absorbance properties of the filters are consistent within a species; however, between species we found a great deal of diversity, both in the number of filters and in their spectral absorbance characteristics. This diversity correlates with the habitat depth ranges of these species, suggesting that species living in shallow, UV-rich environments may tune their UV spectral sensitivities more aggressively. We also found additional, previously unrecognized UV filter types in the crystalline cones of the peripheral eye regions of some species, indicating the possibility for even greater stomatopod visual complexity than previously thought.

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author
; and
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
keywords
Amino Acids/chemistry, Animals, Biological Evolution, Decapoda/physiology, Ecosystem, Photoreceptor Cells, Invertebrate/physiology, Phylogeny, Ultraviolet Rays
in
The Journal of experimental biology
volume
218
issue
13
pages
66 - 2055
publisher
The Company of Biologists Ltd
external identifiers
  • scopus:84948001785
  • pmid:25964422
ISSN
1477-9145
DOI
10.1242/jeb.122036
language
English
LU publication?
no
additional info
© 2015. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.
id
ac5970ba-8ab5-4339-8ff2-f17b77282711
date added to LUP
2020-10-09 10:07:16
date last changed
2024-02-01 08:05:11
@article{ac5970ba-8ab5-4339-8ff2-f17b77282711,
  abstract     = {{<p>Stomatopod crustaceans employ unique ultraviolet (UV) optical filters in order to tune the spectral sensitivities of their UV-sensitive photoreceptors. In the stomatopod species Neogonodactylus oerstedii, we previously found four filter types, produced by five distinct mycosporine-like amino acid pigments in the crystalline cones of their specialized midband ommatidial facets. This UV-spectral tuning array produces receptors with at least six distinct spectral sensitivities, despite expressing only two visual pigments. Here, we present a broad survey of these UV filters across the stomatopod order, examining their spectral absorption properties in 21 species from seven families in four superfamilies. We found that UV filters are present in three of the four superfamilies, and evolutionary character reconstruction implies that at least one class of UV filter was present in the ancestor of all modern stomatopods. Additionally, postlarval stomatopods were observed to produce the UV filters simultaneously alongside development of the adult eye. The absorbance properties of the filters are consistent within a species; however, between species we found a great deal of diversity, both in the number of filters and in their spectral absorbance characteristics. This diversity correlates with the habitat depth ranges of these species, suggesting that species living in shallow, UV-rich environments may tune their UV spectral sensitivities more aggressively. We also found additional, previously unrecognized UV filter types in the crystalline cones of the peripheral eye regions of some species, indicating the possibility for even greater stomatopod visual complexity than previously thought. </p>}},
  author       = {{Bok, Michael J and Porter, Megan L and Cronin, Thomas W}},
  issn         = {{1477-9145}},
  keywords     = {{Amino Acids/chemistry; Animals; Biological Evolution; Decapoda/physiology; Ecosystem; Photoreceptor Cells, Invertebrate/physiology; Phylogeny; Ultraviolet Rays}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{13}},
  pages        = {{66--2055}},
  publisher    = {{The Company of Biologists Ltd}},
  series       = {{The Journal of experimental biology}},
  title        = {{Ultraviolet filters in stomatopod crustaceans : diversity, ecology and evolution}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1242/jeb.122036}},
  doi          = {{10.1242/jeb.122036}},
  volume       = {{218}},
  year         = {{2015}},
}