Two types of sensory hair cell in the saccule of a teleost fish

Sound Detection and Processing by Fish: Critical Review and Major Research Questions (Part 1 of 2)

“…Outside the striola (in the extrastriolar region), hair cells do not react to the S-100 antibody and are not sensitive to gentamicin, and the spike-initiating zones of the smaller diameter afferent fibers are below the epithelium. Transmission electron microscopy demonstrated that striolar cells have a number of organelles that are absent or substantially different in extrastriolar hair cells [Chang et al, 1992]. The conclusion from these studies has been that Astronotus, as amniotes, has two ultrastructurally distinct types of sensory hair cells rather than the single type II hair cell proposed by earlier investigators [e.g., Wersall, I960].…”

“…The conclusion from these studies has been that Astronotus, as amniotes, has two ultrastructurally distinct types of sensory hair cells rather than the single type II hair cell proposed by earlier investigators [e.g., Wersall, I960]. Moreover, it is evident that the extrastriolar hair cells in the utricle of Astronotus closely resemble amniote type II cells and that the striolar hair cells are much like amniote type I hair cells [Chang et al, 1992]. They have been given the name 'type I-like'.…”

“…Still, there are probably functional interactions between the systems both in terms of signals detected [chapters in Coombs et al, 1989a], peripheral mechanics [e.g., Blaxter et al, 1981], and there may be overlap in central processing areas of the brain [e.g., Schellart, 1983;Schellart and Kroese, 1989;Striedter, 1991]. Since both the ear and lateral line are hair cell-based systems, and since there may be functional overlap between the systems, the term octavolateralis has become the preferred term to describe the combined systems and their relationship [Nieuwenhuys, 1967;Northcutt, 1981;McCormick, 1982;Popper et al, 1992].…”

“…For example, the saccule may respond to both auditory and vestibular stimuli, with different regions responding best to different frequencies [e.g., Enger, 1981] and different directions of particle motion [e.g., Piatt and Popper, 1981]. Although it is not yet possible to relate specific functions to specific ear regions, several investigations provide evidence for variation in response within individual epithelia: (a) hair cell orientation patterns [e.g., Piatt, 1977;Popper, 1977Popper, , 1981; (b) lengths of cilia on hair cells and related tuning properties from epithelial regions with hair cells having different length ciliary bundles [e.g., Piatt and Popper, 1984]; (c) the presence of at least two physiologically distinct hair cell 'types 1 within individual end organs [e.g., Sugihara and Furukawa, 1989;Steinacker and Romero, 1992]; and (d) the presence of two ultrastructurally distinct hair cell 'types' within a single end organ [e.g., Chang et al, 1992]. Indirect evidence supporting this hypothesis also comes from studies showing that there are clear regional differences in innnervation in the various otic end organs [e.g., Bell, 1981;Wegner, 1982;Saidel and Popper, 1983;Mathiesen and Popper, 1987;Popper and Saidel, 1990;Presson et al, 1992], suggesting differences in peripheral processing or central projections (see section on Innervation below).…”

Embryonic development of the saccular sensory epithelium in relation to otolith growth in the inner ear of the silver carp,Hypophthalmichthys molitrix(Valenciennes, 1844) (Teleostei: Cyprinidae): light and electron microscopic study

“…According to previous studies, most structural variations in the fish inner ear occur in the inferior division, particularly in the saccular macula (Popper et al 1993;Ramcharitar et al 2004). These structural variations are: the structure and position of the saccular macula, the morphology of the saccular otolith and the otolithic membrane (Salem & Omura 1998a;Lovell et al 2006;Liang & Burgess 2009).…”