Transmission through muscle tissue shapes polarization signals during cuttlefish courtship
Data files
Jan 17, 2026 version files 225.38 KB
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Measure_P1_activity.R
2.27 KB
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Optic_measurement(Fig4dgh).csv
11.06 KB
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Optical_measurement(Fig4f).csv
14.24 KB
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Optical_measurement(white_LED)(Extended_Data_fig8).csv
281 B
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polarimetry_map.csv
192.98 KB
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polarimetry_modelfit_result(Extended_Data_table1).csv
1.70 KB
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README.md
2.85 KB
Abstract
This dataset represents analyses of how birefringent arm muscles shape polarization-based courtship signals in male Doratosepion andreanum, pairing the revised manuscript and SI for context with all raw and processed inputs needed to recreate the figures and extended data.
Optic measurement quantify AoLP/DoLP across arm regions and wavelengths, and map how transmitted light rotates relative to background illumination. Pixel-wise polarimetry maps capture the spatial mosaic of AoLP/DoLP in displaying arms, and birefringence model fits report individual optical parameters and contributions of different optical mechanism. The accompanying R workflow converts polarization images into AoLP/DoLP fields and interneuron activity estimates, enabling direct reuse or extension to new datasets.
In this study, we show that transparent muscle tissue in cuttlefish can actively shape visual signals for courtship by modulating light polarization—the orientation of light wave oscillation. Using photo-polarimetry, we reveal that sexually ornamented cuttlefish arms display a spatial pattern of horizontal and vertical polarization. This enhances visual contrast optimally for cuttlefish polarization vision. The pattern arises from light transmission across a birefringent muscle layer that rotates the angle of polarization.
Dataset DOI: 10.5061/dryad.41ns1rnsh
Description of the data and file structure
This dataset contains the raw and processed data used to generate the main and extended figures in the manuscript titled "Muscle transmission shapes conspicuous polarization signals in cuttlefish." All data are provided in standard formats (CSV, BMP, R script). Below is a description of each file and its correspondence to specific figures or analyses in the manuscript.
Files and variables
1. Optic_measurement(Fig4dgh).csv
- Description: DoLP (Degree of Linear Polarization) and AoLP (°, Angle of Linear Polarization) estimations of transmitted light in different arm regions.
- loc: measured arm regions. Base, Middle, and Tip correspond to three positions located at 0.25, 0.5, and 0.75 along the arm, respectively, where 0 is defined as the base and 1 as the tip of the SDA.
- wavelength: light wavelength (nm)
- r2: coefficient of determination of estimated AoLP
- max: max value of RGB channel
- min: min value of RGB channel
- green, blue, red represent color channel
- Figure: Fig. 4d, 4g, 4h
2. Optical_measurement(Fig4f).csv
- Description: Optical model predictions of AoLP and DoLP after transmission through SDA (sexually dimorphic arm) of cuttlefish.
- AoLP_out and DoLP_out: estimated AoLP and DoLP of ROI_out (light transmitted through the SDA)
- AoLP_in: estimated AoLP and of ROI_in (background light)
- Figure: Fig. 4f
3. Optical_measurement(white_LED)(Extended_Data_fig8).csv
- Description: AoLP of transmitted white light across RGB channels.
- Estimated AoLP: AoLP estimated by Malus's law
- Figure: Extended Data Fig. 8b
4. polarimetry_map.csv
- Description: Pixel-wise polarization map for cuttlefish courtship display. Each line represents one pixel
- X, Y: pixel x and y
- Mean: RGB channel value of each color channel
- AoLP and DoLP: AoLP and DoLP estimated from RGB value.
- Figure: Fig. 1l
5. polarimetry_modelfit_result(Extended_Data_table1).csv
- Description: Fit results for each individual.
- chi: the direction of principal oscillation axis
- phi: amount of phase retardation ϕ between two orthogonal light waves.
- const: amount of AoLP shift caused by circular birefringent
- u: the depolarization effect due to light scattering
- R2: coefficient of determination of estimated AoLP and DoLP
- contribution: relative contribution of each birefringence effect to AoLP rotation
- Table: Extended Data Table 1
Code/software
6. Measure_P1_activity.R
- Description: R script used for calculating P1 activity from polarization images.
- Associated with: Data processing for Fig. 2
- Requirements: R 4.x, tidyverse, nls, ggplot2
- How to use: Any polarization image can be put into img <- load.image("Polarization image.png").