Summary
The ontogenetic apperance of pineal photo-receptors was compared with that of retinal photoreceptors in the ayu Plecoglossus altivelis and the lefteye flounder Paralichthys olivaceus, which hatched 10 days and 3 days after fertilization, respectively. Despite the disparity in incubation time, the outer segments (containing membranous lamellae) of the pineal photoreceptors first appeared from 3 to 4 days after fertilization in both species. In contrast, the outer segments of the retinal photoreceptors first became visible 5 to 6 days after fertilization, although a characteristic retinal stratification and the optic tract leaving the ganglion cell layer were already found 4 days after fertilization in both species. The functional significance of these temporal disparities and/or similarities in photoreceptor development are discussed with special reference to the timing of daily rhythmic activities during the early developmental period of the teleosts.
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Omura, Y., Oguri, M. Photoreceptor development in the pineal organ and the eye of Plecoglossus altivelis and Paralichthys olivaceus (Teleostei). Cell Tissue Res 266, 315–323 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00318187
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00318187