A University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa researcher is helping explain how mantis shrimp see colors and detect types of light that humans cannot, offering new clues about how eyes sense the world.
Megan Porter, a professor in the UH Mānoa School of Life Sciences , co-authored a study published in October 2026 in Science Advances that explores how mantis shrimp eyes detect light. The researchers found that special proteins and natural pigments work together to help the animals sense a wider range of light, including far-red light, which is beyond the range of human vision.
Mantis shrimp have some of the most unusual eyes in the animal world. They have at least 12 types of light receptors that respond to different parts of the light spectrum. Humans have three types of color-sensitive cells, which work together to let us see millions of colors.
The researchers studied 17 types of proteins called rhodopsins. These proteins absorb light and help turn it into signals that the nervous system can interpret. Three of the proteins were able to absorb light with wavelengths longer than 600 nanometers, reaching into the far-red part of the spectrum. Together with natural pigments called carotenoids that act like filters, these proteins help mantis shrimp detect a broader range of light than most other animals, humans included.
What this means for humans
The findings help scientists understand how eyes can detect different types of light and turn that information into signals. While the study does not point to a direct medical use, understanding these natural systems could inspire new ways to detect light using technology.
Scientists have already used mantis shrimp eyes as inspiration for small sensors that can detect not only color but also the direction light waves travel or vibrate. The study also revealed a trade-off. The pigments that help mantis shrimp detect far-red light can block much of the light from reaching certain receptors. This suggests that their ability to detect these wavelengths may work best in bright conditions.
"By understanding how these proteins respond to different wavelengths of light and how they work together within a mantis shrimp eye, we can better understand the biological mechanisms that make this remarkable visual system possible," Porter said.
The research shows how evolution has shaped the mantis shrimp's eyes to detect light in unusual ways. By uncovering how this system works, scientists may also find new ideas for designing technology that senses light.
The School of Life Sciences is housed in UH Mānoa's College of Natural Sciences .
The post Unlocking secrets: Mantis shrimp vision captures unseen first appeared on University of Hawaiʻi System News .
