Question

Read the passage about fish. Certain fish that live in the deep ocean bottom have eventually developed smaller eyes than fish that live in the upper layers of the ocean. What would be the most likely reason for the development of these smaller eyes? a Maintaining the ability to see in the deep water was wasted energy, so the fish with smaller eyes conserved more energy to produce offspring. b A mutation in the genes was passed onto offspring, causing more fish in each generation to inherit the same mutation for small eyes. c The deep ocean is very dark and the smaller eyes helped them to see prey better in that habitat, allowing them to survive to reproduce. d The members of the fish population no longer needed to use their eyes in the dark, developing smaller eyes over time due to lack of use.

Answer 1

The most likely reason for the development of smaller eyes in fish that live in the deep ocean bottom would be: a. Maintaining the ability to see in the deep water was wasted energy, so the fish with smaller eyes conserved more energy to produce offspring.

This option suggests that in a dark environment where vision is less critical, having larger eyes is not advantageous and could lead to unnecessary energy expenditure. As a result, fish with smaller eyes would have a better chance of conserving energy and thus enhancing their reproductive success over generations.