Sharks Don't “See Red”...Or Any Other Colors

If you ever thought wearing a bright red or yellow bathing suit in the ocean might make you more appetizing to sharks, think again. A new study conducted on seventeen species of sharks collected off of Australia’s western coast has found that most sharks are actually completely color blind. 

Researchers from the University of Western Australia and the University of Queensland examined each species' retina in an attempt to better understand the shark's visual perception and reduce attacks on humans. Of the two types of photoreceptors found in human eyes, the rod cells -light sensitive receptors especially useful in low-light situations- were common in all of the shark samples. However,  the three varieties of cone cells used by the human eye to distinguish green, blue, and red, are completely absent from most of the species examined. 

"Our study shows that contrast against the background, rather than color per se, may be more important for object detection by sharks,” explains Associate Professor Nathan Hart, “and this may help us to design long-line fishing lures that are less attractive to sharks-whilst still effective for the target fish species-and thus help to reduce the massive by-catch of sharks in this industry."

You can feel safe wearing your “yum yum yellow” swim trunks once again.