Scientists discover crabs that may have ultraviolet vision

One study suggests that two new species of crabs living in abyssal regions may have the ability to distinguish some colors using ultraviolet photosensitivity. The finding was recently published in the journal Journal of Experimental Biology and the same article also points out that most deep-living creatures can't see any of the colors.

The main food source for abyssal animals is plankton and corals. However, the latter are poisonous to crabs, which necessarily need a way to differentiate each other. One species lives more than 800 meters deep, where there are not even signs of any kind of light.

So the crustacean's ability to capture “images” in the dark helps him distinguish what may be a potential meal from what is harmful to itself. This is what allows animals to survive in the incredible conditions they are in.

According to Sonke Johnsen, microbiologist at Duke University, the finding is not yet fully confirmed. The scientist states that the evidence is very strong and that the next step to prove the hypothesis is to study the animals in the laboratory.

Sources: Biologists.org, NY Times