Summary
The larval eye of the aeolid nudibranch Trinchesia aurantia has been investigated at three different stages; in all, the eyes remain closely attached to, and in cellular contact with, the central ganglia. The larval eye is a simplified version of the adult eye in that, the eye and the constituent cells, nuclei, lens, microvilli and pigment granules are all smaller, and the interdigitation between the retinal cells is not developed. The absence of the small cells of the cornea and of the spherical vesicles in the cytoplasm of the sensory cells, is further evidence of the incomplete formation of the eye. The possible origin of the eye of Trinchesia is discussed and compared with that of other gastropods.
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I am very grateful for the help and guidance of my supervisor Dr. D. A. Dorsett throughout the preparation of this paper. I was sponsored by a grant from the N.E.R.C.
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Hughes, H.P.I. The larval eye of the aeolid nudibranch Trinchesia aurantia (Alder and Hancock). Z. Zellforsch. 109, 55–63 (1970). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00364931
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00364931