Visual fields and eye movements in a harbor seal (Phoca vitulina)

Wolf Hanke; Raffaela Römer; Guido Dehnhardt

doi:10.1016/j.visres.2006.02.004

Visual fields and eye movements in a harbor seal (Phoca vitulina)

Vision Res. 2006 Sep;46(17):2804-14. doi: 10.1016/j.visres.2006.02.004. Epub 2006 Mar 27.

Authors

Wolf Hanke¹, Raffaela Römer, Guido Dehnhardt

Affiliation

¹ University of Bochum, General Zoology and Neurobiology, ND 6/33, D-44780 Bochum, Germany.

PMID: 16564067
DOI: 10.1016/j.visres.2006.02.004

Abstract

The boundaries of the visual fields of a harbor seal were measured using static perimetry. In the seal lying on a plane surface (fixation point "0 degrees" straight ahead at eye-level), the visual field with fixed eyes extended over 208 degrees horizontally and reached from -12 degrees to +69 degrees vertically. The binocular visual field amounted to 67 degrees. Eye movements of 12 degrees (+/-2) degrees to both sides and 64 degrees upwards could be induced. In the seal performing eye movements, a visual field of 210 degrees in the horizontal plane and 121 degrees to the dorsal side was determined. From the measured eye movements, a visual field of 232 degrees in the horizontal plane appears possible.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Animals
Eye Movements / physiology*
Fixation, Ocular / physiology
Phoca / physiology*
Psychometrics
Vision, Binocular / physiology
Vision, Monocular / physiology
Visual Field Tests / methods
Visual Fields / physiology*