noun
- a visual pigment found in the retinas of freshwater fish and some amphibians that is sensitive to red light
Usage: biochemistry; vision science
Examples
- Porphyropsin allows freshwater fish to see better in the red-shifted light that penetrates water.
- The researcher studied porphyropsin concentrations in different species of lake trout.
- Unlike rhodopsin found in marine fish, porphyropsin is adapted for freshwater environments.
- The frog’s retina contained both rhodopsin and porphyropsin pigments.
- Scientists discovered that porphyropsin gives certain fish an advantage in murky pond water.
- The spectral sensitivity of porphyropsin differs significantly from that of rhodopsin.