currentsinbiology: Scallops Have *Eyes*? Not only do they have eyes, they have dozens of them along
currentsinbiology:Scallops Have *Eyes*?Not only do they have eyes, they have dozens of them along the edges of their shell openings. And the weirdest part? In some species like the bay scallop, the eyes are the prettiest blue color. These eyes are not exactly competing with eagle eyes for visual acuity. But they do have some very strange and interesting features, as Sonke Johnsen explains in his surprisingly readable and fun book, The Optics of Life: A Biologist’s Guide to Light in Nature. Each of these eyes has a tapeta, which is a biological mirror that sits on the back of the retina. In most nocturnal species, the tapetum (singular form) bounces light back through retina, allowing the photoreceptors in animals like cats and raccoons a second shot at capturing more light, which is key for seeing in very dim conditions. In scallops, however, the tapeta go above and beyond what they tend to do in other species. They’re actually used to focus light, instead of a lens (or lens + cornea combo as in our eyes). Picture of a scallop, showing the many blue eyes incontext by DavidMoynahan. -- source link
#argopecten irradians#bay scallop#mollusk#tapeta#biology