THERE鈥橲 more to the colourful displays of mantis shrimps than meets the eye,
say biologists who have found that the animals can see polarised light.
The human eye cannot detect the orientation of polarised light鈥攖he
plane in which light waves oscillate鈥攂ut Justin Marshall of the University
of Queensland in Brisbane and his colleagues have taught mantis shrimps to
distinguish between cubes painted with different polarisation patterns (
Current Biology, vol 9, p 755).
The shrimps are the first crustaceans known to have polarisation vision. The
researchers also found that their bodies carry polarisation patterns that should
appear striking to fellow mantis shrimps. 鈥淭hese are mostly used in threat
display, but may also be used to solicit matings,鈥� says Marshall.
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