The visual system of the guitar fish (Rhinobatos productus).

The retinal projections in adult and juvenile guitar fish (Rhinobatos productus) were determined with the aid of the Nauta-Fink-Heimer techniques. The visual system was found to be more extensive and more differentiated than in any other elasmobranch studied to date. Massive projections exist to the dorsal and ventral thalamus, tectum and pretectum, in addition to the usual weak contributions to the hypothalamus and the ventral mesencephalic tegmentum. The projection to the lateral tectum is significantly less distinct than that to the medial part of this structure, suggesting that the ventral visual field has a smaller input, perhaps due to the fact that this visual field is normally aimed at the body of this flat fish.