Behavioral and Neurophysiological Demonstration of a Lateralis Skin Photosensitivity in Larval Sea Lampreys

1991 ◽  
Vol 161 (1) ◽  
pp. 97-117 ◽  
Author(s):  
MARK RONAN ◽  
DAVID BODZNICK
Keyword(s):  
Spontaneous Activity ◽  
Lateral Line ◽  
Lateral Line Nerve ◽  
Medial Nucleus ◽  
Posterior Lateral Line ◽  
Behavioral Studies ◽  
Sea Lampreys ◽  
Response Thresholds ◽  
The Brain ◽  
Skin Photosensitivity

Larval lampreys respond to skin illumination with a delayed burst of swimming in an attempt to escape the light. The photoresponse, which is independent of the lateral eyes and pineal organs, is most readily elicited by light shone on the tail. Behavioral studies in larval lampreys demonstrate that photosensory afferents innervating the tail are carried by a trunk lateral line nerve supplying regions caudal to the head. The present results confirm that bilateral transection of this nerve in larval sea lampreys markedly diminishes the photoresponse. The trunk lateral line nerve consists of the recurrent ramus of the anterior lateral line nerve and a ramus of the posterior lateral line nerve. Bilateral transection of the recurrent ramus does not affect the photoresponse, indicating that lateralis photosensory afferents enter the brain via the posterior lateral line nerve and terminate in the medial octavolateralis nucleus. Photosensory units were subsequently recorded in the trunk lateral line nerve, posterior lateral line nerve and the lateral line area of the medulla. Medullary photosensory units were localized to the medial nucleus, previously regarded as the primary mechanosensory nucleus. Photosensory units in lateral line nerves and the brain exhibited low, irregular spontaneous activity and, after latencies of 17–4 s, responded to tail illumination with repeated impulse bursts. Response thresholds were 0.1-0.9 mWcm−2. Responses to sustained illumination were slowly adapting. A skin photosense is thus an additional lateralis modality in lampreys.

Swim bladder and posterior lateral line nerve of the nurseryfish,Kurtus gulliveri(Perciformes: Kurtidae)

2004 ◽  
Vol 260 (2) ◽  
pp. 193-200 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kent E. Carpenter ◽  
Tim M. Berra ◽  
Julian M. Humphries
Keyword(s):  
Lateral Line ◽  
Swim Bladder ◽  
Lateral Line Nerve ◽  
Posterior Lateral Line

Velocity- and acceleration-sensitive units in the trunk lateral line of the trout

1992 ◽  
Vol 68 (6) ◽  
pp. 2212-2221 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. B. Kroese ◽  
N. A. Schellart
Keyword(s):  
Frequency Response ◽  
Spontaneous Activity ◽  
Lateral Line ◽  
Low Frequency ◽  
Water Velocity ◽  
The Other ◽  
Lateral Line Nerve ◽  
Phase Lead ◽  
Afferent Fibers ◽  
Frequency Phase

1. The two main types of lateral line organs of lower vertebrates are the superficial neuromasts (SN), with a cupula that protrudes in the surrounding water, and the canal neuromasts (CN), located in the lateral line canal. The scales of the trunk lateral line canal of fish contain SNs as well as CNs. In this study, we examine whether there exist two functional classes of afferent fibers in the trunk lateral line nerve of the rainbow trout that can be attributed to the SNs and CNs. 2. The response properties of the afferent fibers in the trunk lateral line nerve have been determined during stimulation with sinusoidally varying water motion generated by a small vibrating sphere. Linear frequency response analysis revealed the presence of two distinct populations of afferent fibers in the lateral line nerve. The fibers belonging to the two populations showed significant differences in the frequency at which the sensitivity was maximal, the low-frequency response slope and the low-frequency asymptotic phase angle. 3. One population of fibers has a maximum sensitivity at 36 +/- 13 (SD) Hz (n = 22) and responds up to this frequency to water velocity. The low-frequency slope of the frequency response of these fibers was 20 +/- 3 (SD) dB/decade and the low-frequency phase lead was 121 +/- 11 degrees (mean +/- SD), both with respect to sphere displacement. The fibers of the other population have a maximum sensitivity at 93 +/- 14 (SD) Hz (n = 12) and respond up to this frequency to water acceleration. The low-frequency slope of these fibers was 35 +/- 5 (SD) dB/decade, and the low-frequency phase lead was 188 +/- 13 degrees (mean +/- SD). 4. Analysis of the stochastic properties of the spontaneous activity of both types of fibers revealed that the mean firing rate of the fibers responding to water velocity (26 +/- 12 spikes/s, mean +/- SD; n = 22) was significantly higher than that of the fibers responding to acceleration (36 +/- 11 spikes/s, mean +/- SD; n = 12). The other statistical properties of the spontaneous activity were found to be indistinguishable. 5. From comparison of the results with the available quantitative data on frequency responses of lateral line organs in other species, it has been concluded that the fibers responding (< or = 40 Hz) to water velocity innervate SNs and that the fibers responding (< or = 90 Hz) to water acceleration innervate CNs.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

scholarly journals THE ELECTRICAL RESPONSE OF THE LATERAL LINE SYSTEM OF FISH TO TONE AND OTHER STIMULI

1950 ◽  
Vol 34 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. E. Suckling ◽  
J. A. Suckling
Keyword(s):  
Spontaneous Activity ◽  
Lateral Line ◽  
Fundulus Heteroclitus ◽  
Electrical Response ◽  
Lateral Line System ◽  
Intensity Level ◽  
Tone Frequency ◽  
Line System ◽  
Lateral Line Nerve

1. The lateral line of Fundulus heteroclitus and Fundulus majalis is shown to react to tone at an intensity level of 20 dynes per sq. cm. at frequencies up to 200 or 300 cycles per second. 2. Evidence is given that the nerve can reproduce the stimulating tone frequency up to at least 180 cycles per second. 3. The response of the lateral line to the swimming movements of nearby fish is demonstrated. 4. Fundulus and several other species are shown to give strong spontaneous activity of the lateral line nerve.

Studies on a primitive cerebellar cortex - II. The projection of the posterior lateral-line nerve to the lateral-line lobes of the dogfish brain

1977 ◽  
Vol 195 (1121) ◽  
pp. 467-478 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Electrical Stimulation ◽  
Lateral Line ◽  
Molecular Layer ◽  
Field Potentials ◽  
Active Response ◽  
Lateral Line Nerve ◽  
Posterior Lateral Line ◽  
Lateral Posterior ◽  
Latency Variation ◽  
Stimulation Of

Field potentials and unit responses generated by electrical stimulation of the posterior lateral-line nerve were recorded from the dogfish hindbrain. The field potentials were largest on the surface of the ipsi-lateral posterior lateral-line lobe and were smaller on or absent from adjacent regions. They were positive in the molecular layer but reversed to become negative in the lobe neuropil where unit responses from afferent fibres and secondary neurons were recorded. A large negative deflexion, which superimposed on the positive field and whose latency decreased linearly with depth was sometimes recorded in the molecular layer; this potential was interpreted as being an active response of the molecular-layer dendrites of the secondary neurons conducting at about 0.3 m s -1 . The secondary neurons were monosynaptically excited by the lateral-line input and discharged up to three spikes for a single stimu­lus: they showed considerable latency variation and were unable to follow stimulation above 100 Hz.

scholarly journals QUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS OF RESPONSES FROM LATERAL-LINE NERVES OF FISHES. II

1933 ◽  
Vol 16 (4) ◽  
pp. 715-732 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hudson Hoagland
Keyword(s):  
Quantitative Analysis ◽  
Spontaneous Activity ◽  
Lateral Line ◽  
Nerve Impulse ◽  
Temperature Characteristic ◽  
Spontaneous Discharge ◽  
Lateral Line System ◽  
Sense Organs ◽  
Line System ◽  
Lateral Line Nerve

1. The lateral-line nerves of trout as well as those of catfish are found to discharge impulses spontaneously at a high frequency. 2. The frequency of nerve impulse discharge is measured as a function of the number of participating receptor groups (lateral-line sense organs). A quantitative analysis is made of the contribution to the total response made by each group of sense organs. 3. An analysis of the variability of the response is presented which makes it possible to estimate quantitatively the longitudinal extent of damage to the neuromasts due to surgical manipulation. 4. A method is described for recording the response of a single nerve fiber in the lateral-line trunk. 5. The frequency of the spontaneous discharge from the lateral-line nerve trunk when plotted as a function of temperature according to the Arrhenius equation yields a temperature characteristic of approximately 5000 calories. 6. The variability of the frequency of response as a function of temperature indicates the existence of temperature thresholds for the spontaneous activity of the neuromasts. 7. A possible basis for the spontaneous activity is considered. It is pointed out that the lateral-line system may serve as a model of the Purkinje cells of the cerebellum.

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