What Would it Mean if White Sharks, Carcharodon Carcharias, Possessed Disconjugate Optokinetic Stimulation?

Abstract

The white shark, Carcharodon carcharias, a typical apex predator, relies on a keen sense of vision to hunt down agile prey, in particular pinnipeds such as seals and sea lions [1-3]. It follows that a considerable proportion of the white shark’s brain would be dedicated to processing visual stimuli to enable efficient hunting [4]. As with other shark species, the eyes of white sharks are positioned laterally, meaning that only one eye at a time can observe an object positioned alongside their bodies, and only when the object is between the overlapping fields of vision could both eyes focus on the same object. So, what potential advantages could white sharks acquire if they were able to move both eyes independently, and so observe two objects on both sides of their heads simultaneously?