Visual pigments are the light-absorbing molecules that mediate vision. They consist of an apoprotein, opsin, covalently linked to 11-cis-retinal. Expressed in the dorsal region of the retina and sparsely expressed in the ventral region. Phosphorylated on some or all of the serine and threonine residues present in the C-terminal region. Belongs to the G-protein coupled receptor 1 family. Opsin subfamily. Was originally thought to be the ultraviolet sensitive opsin.