Does the colour of light affect brine shrimp?

Brine shrimp, small aquatic crustaceans, exhibit phototaxis, a behavioral response to light. While they generally exhibit positive phototaxis, moving toward light sources, different light colors can influence their behavior.

Different light colors:

-Red light: Brine shrimp are less responsive to red light. They may show minimal phototactic behavior, but their movement toward the light source is not as pronounced as with other colors.

- Yellow and Green Light: Brine shrimp show a stronger response to yellow and green light. They exhibit positive phototaxis, swimming towards the light source.

- Blue and UV light: Brine shrimp are highly attracted to blue and ultraviolet (UV) light. They actively move toward these light sources, displaying a strong phototactic response.

The exact mechanisms behind the color preference may be related to the physiology of brine shrimp's eyes. Different light colors penetrate water to varying degrees, and specific wavelengths of light may be better detected by their visual pigments. Additionally, brine shrimp might exhibit innate color preferences based on evolutionary advantages, such as finding suitable habitats or avoiding predators.

Understanding their phototactic behavior can help in studying their ecology and behavior. For instance, light traps utilizing specific colors can be used to collect brine shrimp for research purposes.