![]() The images were created by employees of the United States Government as part of their official duties or prepared by contractors as "works for hire" for NSF. ![]() Images credited to the National Science Foundation, a federal agency, are in the public domain. All media in the gallery are intended for personal, educational and nonprofit/non-commercial use only. Images and other media in the National Science Foundation Multimedia Gallery are available for use in print and electronic material by NSF employees, members of the media, university staff, teachers and the general public. See other images like this on your iPhone or iPad download NSF Science Zone on the Apple App Store. ![]() (Date image taken: August 2015 date originally posted to NSF Multimedia Gallery: March 24, 2017) To learn more about this research, see the NSF News From the Field story Mismatched eyes help squid survive ocean's twilight zone. This research was supported in part by a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship (grant DGE 11-06401). Often, the bioluminescent flashes of other sea creatures-which could signal danger or potential prey-are brighter than the ambient sunlight. The meager light that does reach these depths is extremely dim, a monochromatic blue, and travels straight down from above. Histioteuthis lives in a region of the ocean known as the mesopelagic-or "twilight"-zone, 200 to 1000 meters below the surface. Photophores can be fine-tuned to match light from above, allowing the cock-eyed squid to become nearly invisible, or may be used to attract mates and curious prey. "In the case of the Histioteuthis, this cockeyed squid, they chose one eye for each."Ĭockeyed squid are also called "strawberry" squid due to their bright pink body and smattering of seed-shaped photophores-organs that produce light. "The deep sea is an amazing natural laboratory for eye design because the kinds of eyes you need to see bioluminescence are different from the kinds of eyes you need to see the basic ambient light," said Sönke Johnsen, a professor of biology at Duke and senior author on the study. These observations, combined with visual simulations, indicate that the large eye is specifically adapted for gazing upwards, searching for shadows of fellow sea creatures against the rapidly fading sunlight, while the small eye is adapted for gazing downwards, scanning deeper, darker water for flashes of bioluminescence. The squid Histioteuthis heteropsis is no exception, with one normal eye and one giant, bulging, yellow eye-hence the name "cockeyed" squid.īiologist Kate Thomas of Duke University has studied more than 150 undersea videos of the cockeyed squid-collected by the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute-and has gathered the first behavioral evidence that the squids’ lopsided eyes evolved to spot two very different sources of light available in the deep sea. The cockeyed squid Histioteuthis heteropsis, also known as the "strawberry" squid for its pink color and smattering of seed-like photophores, has evolved a mismatched set of eyes: one large eye (pictured) for seeing the shadows of fellow sea creatures above, and one small eye for spotting bioluminescent flashes below.Įvolution has given deep-sea-dwelling creatures strange features to survivie their cold, dark habitat, everything from eyes the size of basketballs to appendages that blink and glow. MaCockeyed squid (Histioteuthis heteropsis) Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU).National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics (NCSES).Award Statistics (Budget Internet Info System).Proposal and Award Policies and Procedures Guide (PAPPG).Responsible and Ethical Conduct of Research.Technology, Innovation and Partnerships (TIP).Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences (SBE).Mathematical and Physical Sciences (MPS).International Science and Engineering (OISE).Environmental Research and Education (ERE).Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CISE).MAKES AN AWESOME GIFT with the ONE YEAR GUARANTEE - We sell products that last.CERTIFIED FOOD-SAFE - Dual layer design: outside layer is durable poly fabric, inside layer made of food-safe TPU material that is non-toxic, lead-free, BPA-free, PVC-free, and phthalate-free.Like a pair of your favorite jeans, they will soften and fade with repeated washings. EASY TO CLEAN - Our dishwasher-safe, quick-drying, grease-proof, and moisture-proof reusable lunch bags make cleanup a breeze.Our reusable snack bags are made with embroidered gripper tabs to help open them easily for little fingers or big ones. EASY-OPEN ZIPPER - Feel good about sending your child to school with lunch bags that are easy to open.ECO-FRIENDLY AND REUSABLE - You won't have to worry anymore about all the plastic waste produced from normal disposable sandwich bags after switching to our reusable sandwich & snack bags.
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