In Photos: Mantis Shrimp Show Off Googly Eyes

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By Jeanna Bryner
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Animal Vision

The eyes of the mantis shrimp <em>Raoulserenea hieroglyphica</em>.

(Image credit: Image courtesy of Roy L. Caldwell)

The eyes of the mantis shrimp Raoulserenea hieroglyphica.

Mantis Shrimp

The eyes of the mantis shrimp <em>Raoulserenea komai</em>.

(Image credit: Image courtesy of Roy L. Caldwell)

The eyes of the mantis shrimp Raoulserenea komai.

Training a Shrimp

The mantis shrimp <em>Haptosquilla trispinosa</em>.

(Image credit: Image courtesy of Mike Bok.)

The mantis shrimp Haptosquilla trispinosa. When researchers trained H. trispinosa to associate a spectral light with a food reward, it could discriminate wavelength differences of about 25 nanometers, or about the difference between what we see as pure yellow and orange. For comparison, humans can distinguish wavelength differences of 1 to 4 nm.

Jeanna Bryner
Jeanna Bryner
Live Science Editor-in-Chief

Jeanna served as editor-in-chief of Live Science. Previously, she was an assistant editor at Scholastic's Science World magazine. Jeanna has an English degree from Salisbury University, a master's degree in biogeochemistry and environmental sciences from the University of Maryland, and a graduate science journalism degree from New York University. She has worked as a biologist in Florida, where she monitored wetlands and did field surveys for endangered species. She also received an ocean sciences journalism fellowship from Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.