Research particulars mollusk with eyes constructed into its shell

Known as a chiton, or a marine pill bug, A. granulate has eyes made up of a mineral commonly found in mollusks called aragonite rather than protein, like a human’s eyes.

Li noted in a statement that the eyes “allow the animal to monitor its environment with the protective armor shell”.

A chiton mollusk has grown eyes into its shell.

These chitons, species have hundreds of miniature eyes scattering the surface of their rough shells.

With ceramic lenses made of the same material as its shell, the Acanthopleura granulate has found a way to sidestep the evolutionary trade off that forces most mollusks to sacrifice sight for protection. Though the eye is the same material as the shell, the shell is weaker where the eyes are. Using experimental measurements and theoretical modeling, the team was able to show that the eyes are able to focus light and form images within the photoreceptive chamber underneath the lens in both air and water.

During the study, the team took a few of the chiton’s eyes and put them under a microscope to analyze their full potential. The retinas are also small and can only host limited receptors.

Not only did the researchers find the eyes but they also discovered that these eyes are not simply sensitive to light, but they can actually resolve images, which, naturally enhances the mollusk’s ability to defend itself by making it aware of danger.

By connecting this material to an information processor, like a computer, we could create armor that can basically see around it, without leaving any various blind spots for the user. This is because they do not need to see all that well.

Although many biological tissues serve more than one objective, rarely are tissues optimized to do multiple tasks well; doing one task efficiently typically comes at the expense of performing another at such a high level. The study measured the mollusk’s eye-focusing capabilities. Using other material characterization techniques, they were able to determine the size shape and crystal orientation of the crystalline grains that make up these lenses-critical to understanding their optical performance, Li says. The small creatures – in regards to resembling ancient trilobites, and the magnitude of a potato chip – are discovered in several areas of the planet, but are discovered, as they resemble the stone they stick to.

Researchers hope their discovery could lead to material science applications in both the military and heavy industry fields.

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