Quantitative Histological Studies of the Optic Tectum in Six Species of Notropis and Cyprinella (Cyprinidae, Teleostei)

J. Hirnforsch. 32: 309-316 (1991)

Significant differences in stratification and size of the visual layers of the optic tectum were found between three clear-water minnows (Notropis amabilis, N. boops, Cyprinella venustus) and three turbid-water minnows (N. atherinoides, N. bairdi, and C. lutrensis). Correlations among a variety of neural structures suggested the importance of stratum marginale (SM), stratum opticum (SO), and stratum fibrosum et griseum superficiale (SFGS), stratum griseum centrale (SGC) and stratum periventriculare (SPV) in vision, of stratum album centrale (SAC) and SGC for olfaction, and of SPV for the processing of acoustico-lateral information.

Key words: Minnows, Neuroanatomy, Vision, Olfaction