Vision in Aquatic Mammals

Abstract

The visual system of aquatic mammals is of special interest because of its mostly amphibious mode of action. Although truely aquatic mammals (cetaceans, sirenians) spend their entire lives in water, their aerial mode of breathing confines them to the superficial water layer. Semiaquatic mammals (pinnipeds) spend a significant proportion of time on land. Therefore, the visual system in most of aquatic mammals functions both in air and water, though these two media have very different optical features and thus impose different requirements on the visual system.