The deep-living amphipod Cystisoma magna has a curtain-like retina, with widely separated, unscreened structures called rhabdoms. Rhabdoms are transparent, crystalline receptive structures found in the compound eyes of arthropods (which includes insects, arachnids, and crustaceans). Incoming rays of light pass through a transparent cone, which acts to converge the rays onto the tip of the rhabdom. This adaptation of the eyes make them minimally visible to protential predators. While Cystisoma is highly transparent and difficult to detect under normal deep-sea illumination, they are quite visible when side-lit by the bright lights of ROV Tiburon, as seen in this close-up image. #MBARI #deepsea #ocean #gianteyes #underwaterphotography #naturephotography #underwatervideo #sealife #oceanlife #naturephotography #nature #wildlifephotography #wildlife #ROV #ROVvideo #amphipod #marinebiology #deepsealife