Department of Biology, Duke University, Box 90338 Durham, NC 27708, USA.
J Exp Biol. 2011 Aug 15;214(Pt 16):2724-9. doi: 10.1242/jeb.048066.
Vision is an important source of information for many animals. The crystalline lens plays a central role in the visual pathway and hence the ecology of fishes. In this study, we tested whether the different light regimes in the Mediterranean and Red Seas have an effect on the optical properties of the lenses in the rivulated rabbitfish, Siganus rivulatus. This species has migrated through the Suez Canal from the Red Sea and established a vital population in the Mediterranean Sea. Longitudinal spherical aberration curves and focal lengths of the fish lenses were measured by laser scans and compared between the two populations. In addition, rivulated rabbitfish from the Mediterranean Sea were exposed to colored light (yellow, green and blue) and unfiltered light for periods of 1 or 13 days to test for short-term adjustments. Lens focal length was significantly longer (3%) in the Rea Sea population. The shorter focal length of the Mediterranean population can be explained as an adaptation to the dimmer light environment, as this difference makes the Mediterranean eyes 5% more sensitive than the eyes of the Red Sea population. The difference may be due to genetic differences or, more likely, adaptive developmental plasticity. Short-term regulatory mechanisms do not seem to be involved.
视觉是许多动物获取信息的重要来源。晶状体在视觉通路中起着核心作用，因此也对鱼类的生态产生影响。在本研究中，我们测试了地中海和红海不同的光照条件是否会影响有纹兔鲀（Siganus rivulatus）晶状体的光学特性。该物种从红海通过苏伊士运河迁徙，并在地中海建立了重要的种群。我们通过激光扫描测量了鱼晶状体的纵向球差曲线和焦距，并比较了两个种群之间的差异。此外，我们还将地中海的有纹兔鲀暴露在有色光（黄色、绿色和蓝色）和未过滤的光下 1 或 13 天，以测试短期的调节情况。红海种群的晶状体焦距明显更长（3%）。地中海种群的短焦距可以解释为对较暗光照环境的适应，因为这种差异使地中海种群的眼睛比红海种群的眼睛敏感 5%。这种差异可能是由于遗传差异造成的，或者更有可能是由于适应性发育可塑性造成的。短期调节机制似乎并不参与其中。
