title: Non-ocular dermal photoreception in the pond snail Lymnaea stagnalis.
abstract: Based on the results of previous behavioral experiments, researchers believe that sensitivity to light stimuli is not restricted to the eyes in the pond snail Lymnaea stagnalis. To determine the presence of a non-ocular dermal photoreception system and to examine the synaptic connections between this peripheral system and the central nervous system, we electrophysiologically examined the activities of the pedal nerves in L. stagnalis by light stimulation. The results demonstrated that light stimulation evokes non-ocular dermal photosensitive responses in the foot, that these responses exert inhibitory, afferent influences through the inferior pedal nerves to the pedal ganglia, and that these responses were independent of the ocular photoreception system in L. stagnalis.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Animal Behavior and Intelligence, Division of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, Hokkaido University, North 10, West 8, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-0810, Japan.
authors.forename: Koji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Chono
authors.forename: Yutaka
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Fujito
authors.forename: Etsuro
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ito
mesh_terms: D000200:Action Potentials / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D017952:Ganglia, Invertebrate / Q000502:physiology; D008195:Lymnaea / Q000502:physiology*; D009900:Optic Nerve / Q000502:physiology; D010525:Peripheral Nerves / Q000502:physiology; D010775:Photic Stimulation; D017956:Photoreceptor Cells, Invertebrate / Q000502:physiology*; D012867:Skin / Q000294:innervation*; D012879:Skin Physiological Phenomena; D009435:Synaptic Transmission / Q000502:physiology; D014785:Vision, Ocular / Q000502:physiology; D014795:Visual Pathways / Q000502:physiology