Mantis shrimps could lead to the improvement of biomedical imaging, satellite remote sensing, computer data storage and the detection of cancer with their rare ability to reflect and detect light to avoid conflicts. Researchers from the University of Queensland discovered the new form of secret light communication of the marine animals.

According to a press release by he University of Queensland, the study found that mantis shrimps have the ability to reflect and detect circular polarising light to covertly make known their presence to other competitors. The ability is considered extremely rare in animals, according to the researchers.

Circular polarised light can be observed travelling in a spiral direction. Researchers believe that the discovery would improve how doctors detect cancer.

Experts can observe the presence of cancerous cells in the body as these cells tend to not reflect circular polarising light unlike healthy cells, according to lead researcher Justin Marshall, a professor at the University of Queensland. Cameras can be used with circular polarising sensors to detect cancer cells for earlier diagnosis. The potential new approach may lead to initial intervention to prevent the development of a disease.

To study the light communication ability of the animals, the researchers placed a mantis shrimp in a tank with two burrows, one that reflected unpolarised light and the other with circular polarised light. It was found that the shrimps tended to hide in the unpolarised burrow 68 percent of the time. Researchers think that the species perceived the circular polarised burrow as already occupied by another mantis shrimp.

"If you essentially label holes with circular polarising light, by shining circular polarising light out of them, shrimps won't go near it," Marshall said in the press release. "They know - or they think they know - there's another shrimp there.”

Mantis shrimps display circular polarised patterns on their body, commonly on the legs, head and their armoured tail. These parts of the body are most visible when they curl up during a conflict.

"What we're now discovering is there's a completely new language of communication," Marshall said.

Besides mantis shrimp using circular polarised light, the team also discovered another marine species using a different light pattern to communicate. Another study found that fiddler crabs tend to behave differently when objects reflect linear polarised light.

Marshall said the species may have evolved with “inbuilt sunglasses,” which are similar to polarising sunglasses that experts use to reduce glare. The crabs can detect and identify ground-based objects depending on the amount of polarised light reflected.

"These animals are dealing in a currency of polarisation that is completely invisible to humans. It's all part of this new story on the language of polarisation," Marshall said. Both studies were published in the journal Current Biology.

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