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AnimalsSurprise 5/5Difficulty 4/5Reviewed on September 14, 2026

The mantis shrimp has only 3 types of photoreceptors, like humans.

Why it is true

The mantis shrimp has between 12 and 16 types of photoreceptors, far more than the 3 in humans. Despite this, studies show it does not distinguish colours better than we do, which puzzles scientists.

Source: Journal of Experimental Biology

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