News
2026.5.15
Our paper on optical constraint on cuttlefish polarized ornament has been published in Journal of Experimental Biology. Article Brief introduction (INSIDE JEB)
2026.1.27
Our paper on cuttlefish polarization commmunication has been published in PNAS. Article NYT
Profile
Arata Nakayama ─ Ph.D.
Searching for food, distracting predators, finding conspecifics, attracting mates—visual information plays a central role in intra- and interspecific interactions in animals. I aim to understand how animal morphology, behavior, and the visual systems that perceive them have evolved adaptively in the context of these interactions. My current research focuses especially on animal visual communication mediated by light polarization—the orientation of light wave oscillation. Using cephalopods and crustaceans as study systems, I combine morphological and behavioral analyses, optical measurements using specialized cameras and visual models, and microstructural observations using electron microscopy. By integrating these methods, I aim to gain insights into the fundamental principles of animal visual ecology.
Rm. F208, No. 88, Sec. 4, Tingzhou Rd., Wenshan Dist., Taipei City 116059, Taiwan (R.O.C.)
Lab WebsiteEmail: nakayama.ceph [at] gmail.com
Biography
2025.06 -
NSTC Research Fellowat National Taiwan Normal University
2025.04 - 2025.06
Research Fellowat The University of Tokyo
2024.04 - 2025.03
JSPS Research Fellow (PD)at The University of Tokyo
2024.03
Ph.D, The University of Tokyo(Adviser: Dr. Yoko Iwata)
2023.04 - 2024.03
JSPS Research Fellow (DC2)
2021.03
M.Sc, The University of Tokyo(Adviser: Dr. Yoko Iwata)
2019.03
B.Sc, The University of Tokyo
2014.03
Publications
Papers
- Optical constraints shape a polarized sexual ornament in cuttlefish
Arata Nakayama, Ryosuke Ohnuki, Shota Hosono, Tatsuya Toda, Shinya Yoshioka, Toshihiko Kushihiki, Yoko Iwata
Journal of Experimental Biology. 229 jeb.252216. (2026) DOI:10.1242/jeb.252261 INSIDE JEB - Transmission through muscle tissue shapes polarization signals during cuttlefish courtship
Arata Nakayama, Ryosuke Ohnuki, Shinya Yoshioka, Nobuhiro Ogawa, Toshihiko Kushihiki, Shunsuke Momoi, Noriyosi Sato, Tomohiko Kawamura, Yoko Iwata
PNAS. 123 (6) e2517167123. (2026) DOI:10.1073/pnas.2517167123 - Intrasexual variations in arm morphology related to alternative reproductive tactics in Japanese spear squid
Shota Hosono, Yoshio Masuda, Arata Nakayama, Tatsuya Toda, Tomohiko Kawamura, Yoko Iwata
Marine Biology. 172, 1–10. (2025) DOI:10.1007/s00227-024-04585-1 - Squirting ink may play a role in the copulation of the pygmy squid
Noriyosi Sato, Ryohei Tanabe, Wen-Sung Chung, Mizuki Yamada, Arata Nakayama, Yoko Iwata
Journal of Ethology, 1–4. (2024) DOI:10.1007/s10164-024-00829-1 - Ritualized ink use during visual courtship display by males of the sexually dimorphic cuttlefish Sepia andreana
Arata Nakayama, Shunsuke Momoi, Noriyosi Sato, Tomohiko Kawamura, Yoko Iwata
Ecology & Evolution 14, e10852. (2024) DOI:10.1002/ece3.10852
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