The development of eye movements in the zebrafish (Danio rerio)

✍ Scribed by Stephen S. Easter Jr.; Gregory N. Nicola

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1997
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 143 KB
• Volume: 31
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0012-1630
• DOI: 10.1002/(sici)1098-2302(199712)31:4<267::aid-dev4>3.0.co;2-p

✦ Synopsis

We investigated the development of oculomotor activity in zebrafish embryos and larvae of ages postfertilization (hpf). The optokinetic response (OKR: smooth 48-96 hrs tracking movements evoked by a rotating striped drum) improved steadily after its onset at and by had a achieved a gain (eye velocity/drum velocity) of 0.9, comparable 73 hpf, 96 hpf to adult performance. Reset movements (the fast phase of optokinetic nystagmus) developed over The vestibuloocular reflex (VOR: compensatory eye movements evoked by 75-81 hpf. passive rotation of the head) developed over and the associated reset movements, 74-81 hpf, over

The VOR was qualitatively normal in dark-reared fish, which excludes an 76-81 hpf. essential role for visual experience in its early development. Spontaneous saccadic movements (the fast shift of eye position) appeared between 81 and and at had maximum 96 hpf, 96 hpf velocities that were comparable to adults.

These results are compared to, and found to be incompatible with, two earlier ideas of motor development: behavioral "differentiation" and "encephalization."