For Sharks, It's a Black and White World (IMAGE)

SMBE Journals (Molecular Biology and Evolution and Genome Biology and Evolution)

For Sharks, It's a Black and White World

Caption

All cartilaginous fishes, similar to the marine mammals, have lost the SWS1 and SWS2 opsin genes. Sharks and rays do contain both rod and cone photoreceptors; however rays possess two cone opsin genes whereas sharks have only one cone. Sharks therefore were found to have lost the ability to see colors.

Credit

Nathan Hart, Macquarie University

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