Swimming in a Strange Biotope

Abstract

The vast expanse of the open ocean is a strange biotope to us. Imagine a blue nothingness, a total absence of the variety of optical cues that are so characteristic on land. In woods, savannahs, tundras, mountains and even deserts, the multitude of forms and colours provide an overwhelming array of optical stimuli. Physiological selection prevents overloading and only the species-specific crucial items that provide the cues for orientation, food finding, and so on are experienced.