Numerous reports have concluded that zebrafish (Danio rerio)
possesses A1-based visual pigments in their rod and cone
photoreceptors. In the present study, we investigated the possibility
that zebrafish have a paired visual pigment system. We measured the
spectral absorption characteristics of photoreceptors from zebrafish
maintained in different temperature regimes and those treated with
exogenous thyroid hormone using CCD-based microspectrophotometry. Rods
from fish housed at 15°C and 28°C were not significantly
different, having λmax values of 503 ± 5 nm
(n = 106) and 504 ± 6 nm (n = 88),
respectively. Thyroid hormone treatment (held at 28°C), however,
significantly shifted the λmax of rods from 503 ±
5 nm (n = 194) to 527 ± 8 nm (n = 212). Cone
photoreceptors in fish housed at 28°C (without thyroid hormone
treatment) had λmax values of 361 ± 3 nm
(n = 2) for ultraviolet-, 411 ± 5 nm (n = 18)
for short-, 482 ± 6 nm (n = 9) for medium-, and 565
± 10 nm (n = 14) for long-wavelength sensitive cones.
Thyroid hormone treatment of fish held at 28°C significantly
shifted the λmax of long-wavelength sensitive cones to
613 ± 11 nm (n = 20), substantially beyond that of the
λmax of the longest possible A1-based visual
pigment (∼580 nm). Thyroid hormone treatment produced smaller
shifts of λmax in other cone types and increased the
half-band width. All shifts in photoreceptor λmax values
resulting from thyroid hormone treatment matched predictions for an
A1- to A2-based visual pigment system. We
therefore conclude that zebrafish possess a
rhodopsin–porphyropsin interchange system that functions to
spectrally tune rod and cone photoreceptors. We believe that these
observations should be carefully considered during analysis of
zebrafish spectral sensitivity.