Every colour receptor: animal eyes on the spectrum

Every measured colour receptor in the catalogue, 2,704 peaks from 1,126 species, placed on one wavelength axis. Find the gap below 400 nm where your eyes stop and many birds, insects and fish keep going.

Each dot is one measured colour receptor type of one species, placed at the wavelength it responds to most. Dots that share a wavelength stack up and down. The shaded band on the left is ultraviolet; the three lines mark your own cones.

Tap or click a dot to see whose receptor it is.

What the chart shows

2,704 measured receptor peaks from 1,126 species (evidence A, AU or D for each receptor); estimates and reconstructions are left out.
Your three cones peak at 421.5, 532, 558.4 nm. 333 species have at least one measured receptor peaking below 400 nm, in ultraviolet, where people have none.
The most receptor types measured in one species: 11 (Colias erate). More receptor types do not always mean more colours told apart.

Method

Peaks are the catalogue's receptor classes per species, each with its peak sensitivity (λmax) in nanometres, taken from the cited studies.
Only receptors measured in the species itself (A, AU) or derived from measured values (D) are drawn.
The ultraviolet boundary at 400 nm is the usual convention; a screen cannot show ultraviolet, so it is shown as a shaded band only.
Rods (dim-light receptors) are not part of this list unless a source records them as a colour class.

Counts per band

Measured receptor peaks per 50 nm band and animal group
Band	Birds	Mammals	Fish	Insects	Crustaceans	Reptiles and amphibians	Others	People	All
300–350 nm (ultraviolet)	0	0	1	62	3	1	1	0	68
350–400 nm (ultraviolet)	14	22	45	143	7	42	8	0	281
400–450 nm	32	52	159	117	55	18	0	1	434
450–500 nm	17	5	262	92	122	57	43	0	598
500–550 nm	27	64	375	230	129	39	17	1	882
550–600 nm	34	44	129	88	13	44	2	1	355
600–650 nm	0	0	31	37	1	10	3	0	82
650–700 nm	0	0	0	4	0	0	0	0	4

The colour wheel for fun · Receptor peaks of the wheel animals · All sources