A note on a tectal neuron projecting via the tectobulbar tract in teleosts

Catfish and goldfish received small, unilateral tectal injections of horseradish peroxidase. In these fish a population of large diameter tectal efferent axons could be seen travelling to the hindbrain. Each of these axons gave up to 19 collateral branches. These branches arborized in or near the dendritic fields of the ipsilateral nucleus lobobulbaris and oculomotor nucleus, and the contralateral trigeminal nucleus, oculomotor nucleus, abducens nucleus, nucleus lateralis valvulae and medial reticular formation. The results suggest that these axons are involved in triggering eye movements.