DEEP-SEA shrimps can perform a vanishing act by blinking, marine biologists
in Britain have found. Many shrimps in the dim depths of the ocean have
reflective eyes, like cats, to make use of every last photon. But these
鈥渉eadlights鈥� can also betray the animal鈥檚 position to potential predators.
Now Peter Shelton of the University of Leicester and his colleagues have
found that three species of deep-water shrimps have developed a trick to avoid
this. As the researchers will report in the journal Crustacean Issues,
when the shrimps are startled they begin swimming backwards and hide the
telltale shine of their eyes in a groove on the front of their heads. 鈥淎ll the
species close their eyes while swimming backwards,鈥� says Shelton鈥檚 colleague
Magnus Johnson.