Summary
The eyes of Rostanga pulchra larvae develop immediately behind the velar lobes approximately 20 days after hatching. Each is a pigmented cup with a lens occupying the concavity of the cup. The eye is composed of a single corneal cell, 7 sensory cells and 8 pigment cells. Sensory cells are of the rhabdomeric type and bear microvilli as their receptive surface. The eye connects to the inner dorsal region of the optic ganglion through a nerve that consists of axons arising from the 7 sensory cells. The optic ganglion, in turn, joins the lateral region of the cerebral ganglion. The possible functions of the eye are discussed in relation to larval behavior.
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Chia, FS., Koss, R. Fine structure of the larval eyes of Rostanga pulchra (Mollusca, Opisthobranchia, Nudibranchia). Zoomorphology 102, 1–10 (1983). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00310729
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00310729