Visual computation in the cephalopod brain

Computational models of visual system function are largely based on the mammalian visual hierarchy, as the exemplar of a large complex visual system. However, the cephalopod visual system provides an intriguing alternative model for vision; it is relatively similar in size, complexity, and acuity to that of mammals, but has a fundamentally different neural architecture. While this system has been largely overlooked relative to more standard model species, renewed interest in the diversity of neural computations across species, along with technical developments allowing for further investigation, have led to insights into this evolutionarily distinct visual system. Here we provide a brief overview of the unique architecture of the cephalopod visual system, and review recent advances in understanding its neural circuitry, visual coding, and potential computational mechanisms. Throughout, we highlight how investigating cephalopod visual processing provides the opportunity to identify both shared and novel principles for visual computations and their neural implementation.