A Shrimp’s Eye View of Evolution: How Useful Are Visual Characters in Decapod Phylogenetics?

The decapods contain the largest diversity of eye designs and optical types of any group within the Crustacea. This variation has led to debate about the usefulness of visual system characters in the construction of decapod phylogenetic relationships. This debate, however, has not been revisited recently and has never considered the use of molecular aspects of vision. In this paper we review the current understanding of decapod eye anatomy, optics, visual pigments, and evolution. We find that there are many visual system components, including overall optical design and fine structural details, that are potentially useful for reconstructing decapod phylogenetics.