We have recorded ocular potentials in response to brief flashes of light from two teleosts, the white perch (Roccus americana) and the green sunfish (Lepomis cyanellus). The animals were respired and maintained in an alert state for up to 2 d. Responses were recorded with corneal and transcleral electrodes. The responses of green sunfish were composed of electroretinogram (ERG) and eye movement potentials, whereas the responses in white perch contained only the ERG. Injection of curare abolished the sunfish eye movement potentials, unmasking the ERG. Observation under infrared illumination established a direct relationship between eye movements and the fast potentials which could be abolished by curare. We found no evidence of circadian changes in the amplitude of the ERG b-wave of either species. However, our results combined with those of a previous study of sunfish ocular potentials (Dearry, A., and B. Barlow, Jr. 1987. J. Gen. Physiol. 89: 745-770) suggest that the sunfish visual system exhibits rhythmic changes in oculomotor responses, which appear to be controlled by a circadian oscillator.
Article|
July 01 1992
Visual responses in teleosts. Electroretinograms, eye movements, and circadian rhythms.
D G McMahon,
D G McMahon
Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Kentucky, Lexington 40536-0084.
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R B Barlow, Jr
R B Barlow, Jr
Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Kentucky, Lexington 40536-0084.
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D G McMahon
Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Kentucky, Lexington 40536-0084.
R B Barlow, Jr
Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Kentucky, Lexington 40536-0084.
Online ISSN: 1540-7748
Print ISSN: 0022-1295
J Gen Physiol (1992) 100 (1): 155–169.
Citation
D G McMahon, R B Barlow; Visual responses in teleosts. Electroretinograms, eye movements, and circadian rhythms.. J Gen Physiol 1 July 1992; 100 (1): 155–169. doi: https://doi.org/10.1085/jgp.100.1.155
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