Institute for
Multidisciplinary Research

Behavior-driven by eye is in lower vertebrates based on the detection of \"key stimulus\" through specialized neurons in the visual system - the detectors. Detection begins at the level of the retina whose output elements (ganglion cells) send highly filtered information to the primary visual centers of the brain (Tectum opticum) capable of mediating in the realization of various forms of behavior. It is planned to conduct a comparative electrophysiological study of the detector projections in the fish species that are ecologically different. We hope that the results of this future study might demonstrate if there is any interspecific difference in the number of detector types, and if so, to what an extent does it correlate with the difference in behaviour. The studies will be carried out with species from two evolutionary different groups – Osteichties and Chondrostei. As Chondrostei species are quite ancient and have undergone only relatively slight evolutionary changes, it is expected that the study could make it clear, to what an extent has changed the detector system of highly specialized Osteichties species in the evolution process and, if so, what main characteristics of those changes are. Investigation of detector system of Carassius gibelio that has been carried during a long period time by our team, has demonstrated that the detector system of Osteichties species may differ dramatically from analogous systems of amphibians. In order to study mechanisms of visual scene analysis in lower vertebrates, it seems to be perspective to compare the fish detector systems with those of amphibians in relation to its role when dealing with simple behavioural tasks: enemy detection, prey detection, orientation in space etc.