Polarization signals in mantis shrimps

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Date
2009-08-11Type of Work
11 pagesText
journal articles
Citation of Original Publication
Thomas W. Cronin, Tsyr-Huei Chiou, Roy L. Caldwell, Nicholas Roberts, and Justin Marshall "Polarization signals in mantis shrimps", Proc. SPIE 7461, Polarization Science and Remote Sensing IV, 74610C (11 August 2009); doi: 10.1117/12.828492; https://doi.org/10.1117/12.828492Rights
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Subjects
biophotonicbiomimetic
polarizer
retarder
signal
mantis shrimp
stomatopod
dichroic
birefringent
Abstract
While color signals are well known as a form of animal communication, a number of animals communicate using
signals based on patterns of polarized light reflected from specialized body parts or structures. Mantis shrimps, a group
of marine crustaceans, have evolved a great diversity of such signals, several of which are based on photonic structures.
These include resonant scattering devices, structures based on layered dichroic molecules, and structures that use
birefringent layers to produce circular polarization. Such biological polarizers operate in different spectral regions
ranging from the near-UV to medium wavelengths of visible light. In addition to the structures that are specialized for
signal production, the eyes of many species of mantis shrimp are adapted to detect linearly polarized light in the
ultraviolet and in the green, using specialized sets of photoreceptors with oriented, dichroic visual pigments. Finally, a
few mantis shrimp species produce biophotonic retarders within their photoreceptors that permit the detection of
circularly polarized light and are thus the only animals known to sense this form of polarization. Mantis shrimps use
polarized light in species-specific signals related to mating and territorial defense, and their means of manipulating
light’s polarization can inspire designs for artificial polarizers and achromatic retarders.