Changes in the visual pigments of trout

Abstract

The proportions of two visual pigments (rhodopsin and porphyropsin) were examined in four species of trout under experimental and natural conditions. Brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis), rainbow trout (Salmo gairdneri), and brown trout (Salmo trutta) have different relative proportions of visual pigments in their retinae. The visual pigment balance in wild cutthroat trout (Salmo clarki) is related to forest canopy (access to light) and season. The brown trout have a more red-sensitive and less labile pair of visual pigments than brook or rainbow trout, which respond to photic conditions by increasing the proportion of porphyropsin (in light) and increasing rhodopsin (in darkness). The brown trout have a high percentage of porphyropsin, regardless of experimental conditions. This result does not reflect an inability to form rhodopsin but rather may relate to a consistently high proportion of 3-dehydroretinol in the pigment epithelium. The possible advantages and mechanisms of environmental control of trout visual pigment absorbance, as currently understood, are discussed.