Eye development in the four-eyed fish Anableps anableps
Anableps anableps
The evolution and development of the eye has intrigued developmental biologists for centuries. Aside from partial or complete loss, few vertebrates display substantial modifications to the eye morphology. The four-eyed fish Anableps anableps consists in a unique model system to study eye Evo-Devo due to its distinctive eye structure. Featuring split eyes, this species is capable of looking above and under the water level, using distinct aerial and aquatic pupils and corneas. The retina is divided into dorsal and ventral regions and photoreceptors have been shown differential expression pattern in the adult fish. We have characterized at least seven distinct larval stages for A. anableps and produced eye transcriptomes to identify visual and non-visual opsins. We hope our result of this study will shed light on the molecular basis of this innovative feature.