Highlights • Kcnip2 is a marker for OFF-transient α retinal ganglion cells (OFFt αRGCs) • OFFt αRGCs encode the size of the looming object • OFFt αRGC activation is necessary and sufficient for looming evoked fear response Summary Animals respond to visual threats, such as a looming object, with innate defensive behaviors. Here, we report that a specific type of retinal ganglion cell (RGC), the OFF-transient alpha RGC, is critical for the detection of looming objects.
