Limnichthys fasciatus

Limnichthys fasciatus, the barred sand burrower, is a species of sandburrower. It is noted for its highly developed eyes, with a structure similar to the eyes of a chameleon, which has led it to be described as marine chameleon.[2] Its fully grown length measures between 20 millimetres (0.79 in) and 40 millimetres (1.6 in). The species is native to reefs in the Indo-Pacific. The fish preys on plankton prey by surprise attacking it from a hiding in loose sand,[3] with only the eyes protruding from the sand.[4][5]

Barred sand burrower
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Trachiniformes
Family: Creediidae
Genus: Limnichthys
Species:
L. fasciatus
Binomial name
Limnichthys fasciatus
Waite, 1904

Vision
See also: Chameleon vision

A unique property of this species is its vision. The cornea is 1/7th of the thickness of the entire eye, and has a convex shape due to a lens embedded in the cornea.[6] The cornea can focus, which allows the fish to have depth perception without moving its head. The lens itself is flattened.[2] Its eye is also notable for its high density of retinal ganglion cells compared to other species of fish.[5] Because of the rapid and accurate attack on prey, it is assumed the fish has good eyesight.

References
  1. "Limnichthys fasciatus (Barred Sand Burrower)". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
  2. Pettigrew, J. D., and S. P. Collin. "Terrestrial optics in an aquatic eye: The sandlance, Limnichthytes fasciatus (Creediidae, Teleostei)." Journal of Comparative Physiology A 177.4 (1995): 397–408.
  3. Schwab, I. R., S. P. Collin, and J. D. Pettigrew. "Chameleon of the sea." British Journal of Ophthalmology 89.1 (2005): 4–4.
  4. Fritsches, Kerstin A., and Justin Marshall. "A new category of eye movements in a small fish." Current Biology 9.8 (1999): R272–R273.
  5. Ivan R. Schwab; Richard R. Dubielzig; Charles Schobert (5 January 2012). Evolution's Witness: How Eyes Evolved. OUP USA. p. 106. ISBN 978-0-19-536974-8.
  6. Johan Rinder (1940). Acta Physiologica Scandinavica: Supplementum. publisher not identified. p. 8.
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