Mantis shrimp vision reveals new way that animals can see

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A deep sea shrimp out in open water. Credit: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
A deep sea shrimp out in open water. Credit: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Mantis shrimp can see the world in a way that had never been observed in any animal before, researchers report in the March 20th Current Biology. The discovery—which marks the fourth type of visual system—suggests that the ability to perceive circular polarized light may lend mantis shrimp a secret mode of communication.


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