HD Vision Found in Cuttlefish

The most acute, naturally-occurring polarization vision has been discovered in cuttlefish. Apparently, these amazing creatures are perfectly capable of detecting specific polarizations of light, to which very few other living things are sensitive too.

According to a paper published in the journal Current Biology, cuttlefish are significantly more sensitive to these types of lights than anyone gave them credit for. Together with squid and octopi, these creatures can sense information in a manner that is not accessible to other species.

We cannot perceive polarized light, but we can understand some of its aspects. Some sunglasses have polarized filters, preventing certain parts of the Sun's rays from entering the eyes. 3D cinema glasses use the same principle, as do glasses that reduce glare.

“Cuttlefish were much more sensitive than we expected. It was previously thought that polarization sensitivity was limited to about 10-20 degree differences, but we found that cuttlefish could respond to differences as small as one degree,” experts at the University of Bristol explain.