Summary
A chromaticity diagram which plots the 3 photoreceptor excitations of trichromatic colour vision systems at an angle of 120° is presented. It takes into acount the nonlinear transduction process in the receptors. The resulting diagram has the outline of an equilateral hexagon. It is demonstrated by geometrical means that excitation values for any type of spectrally opponent mechanism can be read from this diagram if the weighting factors of this mechanism add up to zero. Thus, it may also be regarded as a general representation of colour opponent relations, linking graphically the Young-Helmholtz theory of trichromacy and Hering's concept of opponent colours. It is shown on a geometrical. basis that chromaticity can be coded unequivocally by any two combined spectrally opponent mechanisms, the main difference between particular mechanisms being the extension and compression of certain spectral areas. This type of graphical representation can qualitatively explain the Bezold-Brücke phenomenon. Furthermore, colour hexagon distances may be taken as standardized perceptual colour distance values for trichromatic insects, as is demonstrated by comparison with behavioural colour discrimination data of 3 hymenopteran species.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
References
Backhaus W (1991a) Color opponent coding in the visual system of the honeybee. Vision Res 31:1381–1397
Backhaus W (1991b) Bezold Brücke colour shifts exist in the bee as predicted. In: Elsner N, Penzlin H (eds) Synapse — transmission — modulation. Proceedings of the 19th Göttingen Neu-robiology Conference. Georg Thieme, Stuttgart, p 558
Backhaus W, Menzel R (1987) Color distance derived from a receptor model of color vision in the honey bee. Biol Cybern 55:321–331
Backhaus W, Menzel R, Kreißl S (1987) Multidimensional scaling of color similarity in bees. Biol Cybern 56:293–304
Buchsbaum G, Gottschalk A (1983) Trichromacy, opponent colour coding and optimum colour information transmission in the retina. Proc R Soc Lond B 220:89–113
Chittka L, Beier W, Hertel H, Steinmann E, Menzel R (1992) Opponent colour coding is a universl strategy to evaluate the photoreceptor inputs in Hymenoptera. J Comp Physiol A 170:545–563
Daumer K (1956) Reizmetrische Untersuchungen des Farbensehens der Bienen. Z Vergl Physiol 38:413–478
Guth LS, Massof RW, Benzschawel T (1980) A vector model for normal and dichromatic color vision. J Opt Soc Am 70:197–212
Helversen O von (1972) Zur spektralen Unterschiedlichkeitsempfindlichkeit der Honigbiene. J Comp Physiol 80:439–472
Hurvich LM, Jameson D (1955) Some quantitative aspects of an opponent colour theory. II. Brightness, saturation and hue in normal and dichromatic vision. J Opt Soc Am 45:602–616
Küppers H (1976) Die Logik der Farbe. Callway. München
Küppers H (1977) Farbe, Ursprung, Systematik, Anwendung. Callway, München
Laughlin SB (1981) Neural principles in the peripheral visual system of invertebrates. In: Autrum HJ (ed) Invertebrate visual centers and behaviour (Handbook of sensory physiology, vol. VII/6b). Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York, pp 133–280
Lipetz LE (1971) The relation of physiological and psychological aspects of sensory intensity. In: Loewenstein WR (ed) Principles of receptor physiology. (Handbook of sensory physiology, vol I). Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York, pp 191–225
MacLeod DIA, Boynton RM (1979) Chromaticity diagram showing cone excitation by stimuli of equal luminance. J Opt Soc Am 69:1183–1186
Menzel R, Steinmann E, De Souza JM, Backhaus W (1988) Spectral sensitivity of photoreceptors and colour vision in the solitary bee, Osmia rufa. J Exp Biol 136:35–52
Menzel R, Ventura DF, Hertel H, de Souza JM, Greggers U (1986) Spectral sensitivity of photoreceptors in insect compound eyes: comparison of species and methods. J Comp Physiol A 158:165–177
Menzel R, Ventura DF, Werner A, Joaquim LCM, Backhaus W (1989) Spectral sensitivity of single photoreceptors and color vision in the stingless bee, Melipona quadrifasciata. J Comp Physiol A 166:151–164
Menzel R, Backhaus W (1991) Colour vision in insects. In: Gouras P (ed) Vision and visual dysfunction, vol VI. The perception of colour. MacMillan Press, Houndsmills, pp 262–293
Naka KI, Rushton WAH (1966) S-potentials from color units in the retina of the fish (Cyprinidae). J Physiol 185:536–555
Peitsch D, Backhaus W, Menzel R (1989) Color vision systems in hymenopterans; a comparative study. In: Erber J, Menzel R, Pflüger HJ, Todt D (eds) Neural mechanisms of behavior. Thieme, Stuttgart New York, p 163
Rodieck RW (1973) The vertebrate retina — principles of structure and function. Freeman and Company, San Francisco
Schroedinger E (1920a) Grundlinien einer Theorie der Farbenmetrik im Tagessehen. Ann Phys 63:397–426, 427–456
Schroedinger E (1920b) Grundlinien einer Theorie der Farbenmetrik im Tagessehen. Die Farbenmetrik II. Teil: Höhere Farbenmetrik (eigentliche Metrik der Farbe). Ann Phys 63:481–520
Valberg A, Seim T, Lee BB, Tryti J (1986) Reconstruction of equidistant color space from responses of visual neurones of macaques. J Opt Soc Am A 3:1726–1734
Werner JS, Wooten BR (1979) Opponent chromatic mechanisms: Relation to photopigments and hue naming. J Opt Soc Am 69:422–434
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Chittka, L. The colour hexagon: a chromaticity diagram based on photoreceptor excitations as a generalized representation of colour opponency. J Comp Physiol A 170, 533–543 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00199331
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00199331