Spectral tuning and signaling of diverse and far red-sensitive rhodopsins in mantis shrimp eyes.

Seventeen rhodopsins in mantis shrimp eyes, including three beyond 600 nanometers, enable broad spectral sensitivity extending into the far-red range.

• Why it matters: Understanding mantis shrimp visual mechanisms addresses the gap in knowledge about their potential for broad color detection and spectral tuning, which remains unclear despite their extraordinary eyes.
• What they did: The study identified 17 rhodopsins, mainly from the midband eye region, and analyzed their spectral properties, signaling pathways, and photoreversibility, revealing diverse spectral tuning mechanisms.
• The result: The findings suggest that combining carotenoid filters with multiple tuned rhodopsins extends mantis shrimp vision into the far-red spectrum, indicating complex spectral adaptation for broad color detection.