ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Accommodation in fish

Accommodation in fish is kind of like how we use our eyes to focus on different things. When we look at something far away, our eyes become longer and thinner, and when we look at something up close, our eyes become shorter and fatter. This helps us see things clearly at different distances.

Fish do something similar with their eyes. They have a special muscle that changes the shape of their lens, which is like a clear button inside their eye. When they're looking at something far away, the muscle relaxes and the lens becomes flatter, allowing light to pass through and reach the back of the eye where the image is formed. When they're looking at something up close, the muscle contracts and the lens becomes rounder, which helps them see the details of the object.

This accommodation is important for fish because they need to be able to see well in different environments. Some fish live in shallow water where they need to be able to see small prey up close, while others live in deep water where they need to be able to see things far away to avoid predators or find food.

In summary, accommodation in fish means they can change the shape of their lens to see things clearly at different distances, just like we use our eyes to focus.