Enables protein homodimerization activity. Acts upstream of or within several processes, including detection of light stimulus involved in visual perception; photoreceptor cell outer segment organization; and protein complex oligomerization. Located in photoreceptor outer segment. Is expressed in eye; head; retina; and retina outer nuclear layer. Used to study patterned macular dystrophy 1 and retinitis pigmentosa 7. Human ortholog(s) of this gene implicated in Leber congenital amaurosis; eye degenerative disease (multiple); and fundus albipunctatus. Orthologous to human PRPH2 (peripherin 2). [provided by Alliance of Genome Resources, Apr 2022]