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A Survey of Vertebrate Strategies for Vision in Air and Water

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Sensory Ecology

Part of the book series: NATO Advanced Study Institutes Series ((NSSA,volume 18))

Abstract

Possibly the most important ecological factor to affect the evolution of the vertebrate eye is the effect of air and water on the refractive power of the cornea. Whereas the cornea is usually the major refractive element of the terrestrial eye, it is of little or no refractive consequence to an aquatic vertebrate. This has been attributed to the close similarity in refractive indices of water and corneal tissue (Walls, 1942; Duke-Elder, 1958; Tansley, 1965). In fact, the refractive index of the cornea is always appreciably greater than that of water (Table 1). However, its refractive index is of little importance since the cornea is bounded by two parallel of nearly parallel surfaces which separate it from water or air in front and aqueous humor behind. The indices for water and aqueous humor are very similar.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Comparative Optometry, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada

    J. G. Sivak

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  1. J. G. Sivak
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Département de Biologie, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Canada

    M. A. Ali

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© 1978 Plenum Press, New York

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Sivak, J.G. (1978). A Survey of Vertebrate Strategies for Vision in Air and Water. In: Ali, M.A. (eds) Sensory Ecology. NATO Advanced Study Institutes Series, vol 18. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4684-3363-0_19

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4684-3363-0_19

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4684-3365-4

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