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Aspects Of The Oculomotor System Of Callinectes Sapidus, Antoinette Steinacker

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

An isolated perfused preparation was developed for the study of several aspects of the oculomotor system of the blue crab, Callinectes sapidus. The system for eyestalk rotation was investigated on an extracellular level. Two antagonistic pairs of muscles under visual and statocyst control were found to be responsible for stabilization and rotation of the eyestalk. The primary sensory input to the muscles appears to be from the statocysts, with both static position sense and dynamic acceleration components influencing the motor response. Two sensory feedback systems from mechanoreceptive hairs were found which influence the response of the eye stalks to statocyst …