Premium
The Lateral Sensory Canals of Larval Notopterus.
Author(s) -
Omarkhan M.
Publication year - 1949
Publication title -
proceedings of the zoological society of london
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.915
H-Index - 96
eISSN - 1469-7998
pISSN - 0370-2774
DOI - 10.1111/j.1096-3642.1949.tb00414.x
Subject(s) - sensory system , larva , biology , anatomy , neuroscience , ecology
Summary. In larval Notopterus the latero‐sensory canals in the head are extraordinarily spacious and run through the head like huge tunnels. The canal‐system is remarkable in not possessing any opening to the exterior. The disposition of the canals follows the generalized Teleostean pattern. The cavity of the supraorbital canal is isolated from the rest of the system. There are, altogether, 36 neuromasts enclosed within the canals on each side of the head innervated in the typical Teleostean manner. The lateral canal of the body has not yet been formed, and is represented by a row of sense organs located in the epidermis and opening to the exterior. The course of the various canals, the bones associated with them, the histology of the canals and the neuromasts, and the structure of the cupulae, are described. The chemical nature of the cupulae is discussed. It has proved to be problematical. The: development of the latero‐sensory system shows some modifications in comparison to other teleosts. Primary pores are not formed, the system arises from the early stages as a closed system in the head region. The nature of the secondary association of the latero‐sensory canal system with the ear in Notopterus and Gymnarchus, and in some members of Gadidae, Muraenidae and Clupeidae is discussed. It is suggested that as a result of this association the latero‐sensory canal system tends to become modified in two ways; reduction in the external communication, ultimately in some forms leading to a total loss; and increase in the size of the canals. Notopterus shows a high degree of specialization in these directions.