The Visual Pigments of Some Deep-Sea Elasmobranchs

Abstract

The retinae of three species of deep-sea shark, Centrophorus squamosus, Centroscymnus coelolepis and Deania calcea, have been studied. All had goldencoloured photosensitive pigments, similar to those of deep-sea teleosts. The absorption maxima for the unbleached pigments lay between 472 and 484 m/n. The retina of the hake (Merluccius merluccius) was studied for comparison; its retinal pigment absorbed maximally at 495-5 mix. Some observations on the retinae of the moray eel (Muraena helena) and the Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) are also described.