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Brain function in antarctic fish: Activity of central vestibular neurons in relation to head rotation and eye movement

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Summary

Recordings were made from central vestibular neurons responding to horizontal head rotation in antarctic fish,Pagothenia borchgrevinki, at a temperature close to 0 °C. The spontaneous activity of these units varied between 0 and 56 Imp/s with a mean value of 20. Almost all units responded to horizontal rotation with a maximum firing rate that was approximately in phase with head velocity, either towards the recording side (type I units) or away from the recording side (type II), with no alteration of firing pattern during saccadic eye movements. The mean gain of these units was 2.6 Imp/s/ℴ/s at 0.35 Hz which is higher than that reported for central vestibular neurons in other fish.

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Author notes

  1. A. R. McVean

    Present address: Department of Zoology, Royal Holloway and Bedford College, Egham 34455, TW20 0EX, Surrey, England

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Zoology, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand

    J. C. Montgomery & A. R. McVean

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  1. J. C. Montgomery
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  2. A. R. McVean
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Montgomery, J.C., McVean, A.R. Brain function in antarctic fish: Activity of central vestibular neurons in relation to head rotation and eye movement. J. Comp. Physiol. 160, 289–293 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00609734

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00609734

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