Morphogenetic development of the area octavolateralis in the cichlid fish Oreochromis mossambicus

In the cichlid fish Oreochromis mossambicus the area octavolateralis in the brain stem was studied using histological techniques and labelling of afferents from the inner ear and the lateral line system with horseradish peroxidase (HRP). Adult fish and fish larvae aged 2, 4, 7, 10, and 15 days post hatching were investigated in order to analyze the ontogenetic development of these sensory systems during the critical phase of maturation from relatively immobile stages to actively swimming larvae. In adult Oreochromis seven nuclei can be detected in the octavolateral area while in the larvae a steady differentiation from a mostly periventricular concentration of perikarya in the first two days post hatching via increasing accumulations of neuronal cell bodies in the more peripheral regions up to four discernible nuclei in the age of 15 days post hatching was observed. The HRP-labelling of afferents from the lateral line organ and the inner ear in early stages indicates that the sensory organs precedes the histologically detectable differentiation in the octavolateral area. Both sensory components are clearly separated already in very early developmental stages.