An experimental study of the retinal projections of the European eel (Anguilla anguilla), carried out at the catadromic migratory silver stage.

A radioautographic study of the European eel (Anguilla anguilla) was carried out in ten female specimens at the catadromic migratory silver stage. Terminal arborizations of contralaterally projecting visual fibres were identified in ten hypothalamic structures (area optica preoptica ventralis and the nuclei suprachiasmaticus, opticus hypothalamicus ventromedialis, preopticus magnocellularis lateralis, posterioris lateralis, posterioris dorsalis periventricularis posterioris dorsalis lateralis, posterioris dorsalis medialis, posterioris ventralis lateralis, and posterioris ventralis periventricularis), ten thalamo-pretectal structures (Areas C1 and C2, area optica tractus opticus ventrolateralis and the nuclei dorsolateralis thalami, ventrolateralis thalami pars ventralis, opticus ventralis thalami, geniculatus lateralis, opticus pretectalis partes dorsalis et ventralis, and opticus commissurae posterioris), and in the tectal strata opticum partes externa et interna, fibrosum et griseum superficiale, griseum centrale and album centrale. An accessory optic system was identified, and a contralateral retinal projection to the anterior region of the anterior semicircular torus (n. opticus dorsolateralis mesencephali) was identified. Ipsilateral projections to hypothalamic and thalamopretectal structures were also observed. Apart from the retinal projection to the preoptic area, which is exceptionally important in the silver eel, the general plan of organization of the primary visual centres of this form is comparable to that described in other species of teleost. However, the architecture of some primary visual centres shows characteristics similar to those described in more primitive Actinopterygians.