The
tapetum lucidum (
Latin: "bright tapestry", plural
tapeta lucida) is a layer of tissue in the
eye of many
vertebrates. Lying immediately behind the
retina it
reflects visible
light back through the retina, increasing the light available to the
photoreceptors, though blurring the initial image of the light on focus. The
tapetum lucidum contributes to the superior
night vision of some animals. Many of these animals are
nocturnal, especially
carnivores that hunt their
prey at night, while others are
deep sea animals.