Their remarkable talent doesn’t stop there – even after death, these oceanic residents continue to “perceive” their environment through their skin, thanks to specialized light-sensing cells. A recent study published in Nature Communications on August 22nd delves into this intriguing phenomenon.
Their remarkable talent doesn’t stop there – even after death, these oceanic residents continue to “perceive” their environment through their skin, thanks to specialized light-sensing cells. A recent study published in Nature Communications on August 22nd delves into this intriguing phenomenon.
Inhabiting coral reefs, hogfish display exceptional versatility. Beginning life as female and later transforming into males as adults (a phenomenon known as protogynous hermaphroditism), these creatures possess a captivating ability to modify their skin color in sync with their environment.
Dr. Lorian Schweikert, an assistant professor at the University of North Carolina Wilmington and an enthusiastic angler, encountered this color-shifting marvel firsthand. During a fishing expedition off the coast of Florida, she observed a hogfish (scientifically named Lachnolaimus maximus) she had caught altering its skin color to match the patterned white deck of the boat. Schweikert, who spearheaded the study, noted that it seemed as though the fish was monitoring and reacting to its own color transformation.
The groundbreaking research points to the presence of specialized light-sensitive cells situated beneath the hogfish’s color-altering skin cells. These cells act much like “internal Polaroid film,” capturing shifts in light that the hogfish filters through its skin cells. This adaptation allows the hogfish to seamlessly adjust its skin color to blend with its surroundings.
A previous study from 2018 by Schweikert and her colleagues had identified light-detecting proteins called SWS1 opsins within hogfish skin. These proteins, with a heightened sensitivity to blue light, were compared to similar proteins found in human retinas. The team used immunolabeling techniques to pinpoint the precise locations of these proteins within hogfish skin samples.
Addressing any misconceptions, the researchers clarified that hogfish do not visually perceive their environment through their skin in the same way they do with their eyes. While their skin captures changes in light, it doesn’t process these changes into detailed images like an eye does. The comparison drawn is between the hogfish’s light-sensitive opsins and “internal Polaroid film,” emphasizing the way the hogfish records alterations in light rather than constructing visual representations.
Co-author Sönke Johnsen, a biology professor at Duke University, likened the hogfish’s capability to taking a photo of its own skin from the inside. This analogy underlines the hogfish’s ability to gauge and respond to its skin’s color changes, providing a unique perspective on self-awareness and adaptation in the marine world.
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