Giant squid incased in ice, Melbourne AquariumWIKIMEDIA COMMONS, FIR0002/FLAGSTAFFOTOS
There is no competition. The giant squid has the largest known eyes in the animal kingdom—three times the diameter of the largest eyes of any other animal. Yet there has been no clear explanation for why giant squid need such big peepers.
Now, researchers at Lund University in Sweden have a theory: giant squid eyes are uniquely suited for detecting large predators at far distances. The theory, published today (March 15) in Current Biology, can be used to model other visual systems in deep, inaccessible aquatic environments, the authors said.
“It’s the first time I’ve ever seen such a close analysis of the selective pressures determining the size of an eye,” said Howard Howland of Cornell University, who has studied vision for over 50 years ...
