What the mantis shrimp's eye (possibly) tells its raptorial appendages

On the distal lamina surface of stomatoped eyes a matrix of horizontal and vertical nerve fibers processes the complex input patterns. The output of these integrating fibers is a spike discharge pattern correlated to the input pattern. Here we introduce a ± neuron which either subtracts or sums the outputs from the set of horizontal and vertical fibers activated at that moment. The output pattern of spike frequencies of the ± neuron locates a target in space. Over a parallel channel outputs from the vertical fibers pass a bandpass filter and constitute one of the inputs for a decision neuron. The other input derives from specialized ommatidia at the center of the eye. If both inputs arrive within a short time interval, they sum, the threshold is reached and the decision neuron fires. Spikes from the decision neuron are the final cue for the muscles of the raptorial appendages. The appendages shoot forward and hit the prey with high precision.