The processing of polarisation and intensity in the visual system of fiddler crabs

Unlike humans, many species of arthropods and cephalopods can use light's polarisation as a source of information and elicit a corresponding behavioral response. However, our understanding of how animals process polarised signals is still poorly understood. Fiddler crabs are a model species in thestudy of visually guided behaviors, particularly escape responses to predators. They can also use polarisation contrast to detect objects. Therefore, this thesis took a physiological and behaviouralapproach to understand better how fiddler crabs process polarisation in relation to intensity. Theoverall findings suggest that fiddler crabs are ten times less sensitive to polarisation than intensity