LONDON: Salmon possess more powers than the ability to swim upstream. Scientists have discovered that salmon, along with with other freshwater fish and amphibians, can supercharge their eyes in order to give them the ability to be able to see red and infrared light.
Researchers already know that salmon, other freshwater fish and amphibians, including frogs, have the ability to shift their vision from terrestrial environments that include lights on the blue-green end of the spectrum to be able to navigate the murky depths of freshwater. These murky waters have lights on the red and infrared end of the spectrum because of the mud, algae and other substances that filer the light from the visual spectrum.
However, what has been puzzling researchers for almost a century is just how they are able to do it.
Now, we are finally getting insight thanks to scientists at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.
Published in the journal Current Biology, the scientists uncovered that certain marine life have an enzyme called Cyp27c1 that allows them enhance their vision abilities to be able to see longer wavelengths of light.
