Red vision in animals is broadly associated with lighting environment but not types of visual task

Abstract

Red sensitivity is the exception rather than the norm in most animal groups. Among species with red sensitivity, there is substantial variation in the peak wavelength sensitivity (λ_max) of the long wavelength sensitive (LWS) photoreceptor. It is unclear whether this variation can be explained by visual tuning to the light environment or to visual tasks such as signalling or foraging. Here, we examine long wavelength sensitivity across a broad range of taxa showing diversity in LWS photoreceptor λ_max: insects, crustaceans, arachnids, amphibians, reptiles, fish, sharks and rays. We collated a list of 161 species with physiological evidence for a photoreceptor sensitive to red wavelengths (i.e. λ_max ≥ 550 nm) and for each species documented abiotic and biotic factors that may be associated with peak sensitivity of the LWS photoreceptor. We found evidence supporting visual tuning to the light environment: terrestrial species had longer λ_max than aquatic species, and of these, species from turbid shallow waters had longer λ_max than those from clear or deep waters. Of the terrestrial species, diurnal species had longer λ_max than nocturnal species, but we did not detect any differences across terrestrial habitats (closed, intermediate or open). We found no association with proxies for visual tasks such as having red morphological features or utilising flowers or coral reefs. These results support the emerging consensus that, in general, visual systems are broadly adapted to the lighting environment and diverse visual tasks. Links between visual systems and specific visual tasks are commonly reported, but these likely vary among species and do not lead to general patterns across species.

Keywords: light environment; long wavelength sensitivity; red vision; visual ecology.