A newly described organ associated with the eye and lateral line system in the marine teleost, Stenotomus chrysops.
A hitherto undescribed type of organ, possibly sensory, is reported. It is in the form of small cylindrical projections primarily concentrated on the surface in the area of the reticular lateral-line complex and around the eye of the scup (Stenotomus chrysops). The projection is composed of a central core cell surrounded by an epithelium. Enveloped within the epithelium and parallel to the core cell are six to eight symmetrically arranged 'bulbs' with cytoplasmic stems extending to cell bodies within the epidermis proper. A circle of 'collar' cells at the base of the cylinder facilitates the observed bending of the projection. Detection of the direction of water movement is hypothesized.
D000818:Animals; D004848:Epithelium / Q000648:ultrastructure; D005399:Fishes / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D012679:Sense Organs / Q000648:ultrastructure*