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The Journal of Experimental Biology 206, 833-841 (2003)
doi: 10.1242/jeb.00142

Corneal power and underwater accommodation in great cormorants (Phalacrocorax carbo sinensis)

Gadi Katzir1,* and Howard C. Howland2

1 Department of Biology, University of Haifa, Oranim, Tivon 36006, Israel
2 Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA

* Author for correspondence (e-mail: gkatzir{at}research.haifa.ac.il)

Accepted 13 November 2002

In great cormorants (Phalacrocorax carbo sinensis), corneal refractive powers, determined by photokeratometry, ranged between 52.1 diopters (52.1 D) and 63.2 D. Photorefractive reflexes, determined by infrared video photorefraction, indicated that in voluntary dives the cormorants accommodate within 40-80 ms of submergence and with myopic focusing relative to the photorefractor attained when prey was approximately one bill length from the plane of the eye. Underwater, the pupils were not constricted and retained diameters similar to those in air. These results support previously reported capacities of lenticular changes in amphibious birds yet do not fully correspond with earlier reports in terms of the coupling of iris constriction with accommodation, and time course.

Key words: keratometry, IR photorefraction, lens, cornea, accommodation, refractive power, amphibious vision, great cormorant, Phalacrocorax carbo sinensis




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T. Strod, I. Izhaki, Z. Arad, and G. Katzir
Prey detection by great cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo sinensis) in clear and in turbid water
J. Exp. Biol., March 15, 2008; 211(6): 866 - 872.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


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