Morphogenesis of the brain in larval and juvenile Japanese eels, Anguilla japonica.

Abstract

We compared the morphology, including relative volumes (RV), of some brain regions in leptocephalus larvae (10-30 mm in total length), glass eels (elvers), young, and immature pre-adults of the Japanese eel Anguilla japonica. The external brain shape of the leptocephali gradually changes from a laterally compressed one to a depressed elongated one. These changes are fundamentally due to biased growth of the telencephalon and optic tectum. The dramatic brain transformation progresses until the juvenile stage and culminates in an adult-type brain arrangement, with a developed cerebellum and eminentia granularis and a much more flattened appearance. The RVs of brain regions closely related to somatic sensory functions are quite different in larvae and juveniles. The larvae possess larger optic tecta and smaller chemo- and mechanosensory regions than the juveniles. The RV of the olfactory bulb increases, and that of the optic tectum decreases, until the adult stage, unlike the condition in a pelagic fish, Pagrus major, suggesting that adult eels are inferior to pelagic fishes in visual perception. In contrast, the brain morphology of the larvae suggests that they are equipped with a well-developed visual system, while the functional significance of the system still remains a mystery. It might be important for feeding, orientation and diurnal vertical migration of the larvae.