Fish see in the dark thanks to extra layers of rod cells in their eyes

Fish see in the dark thanks to extra layers of rod cells in their eyes

Source: newscientist

12/21/2022

Credit: Justin Marshall

The specialised retinas of some nocturnal coral fish result in faster vision and greater sensitivity to dim and bright light. The same adaptation may enable deep-sea animals to see in darkness.

Fish living in dim conditions can have as many as 28 layers of light-sensitive rod cells at the back of their eyes, known as a multibank retina. But exactly how this helps them to see in low light was unclear until now.