ANATOMICAL STUDIES ON THE CRANIAL NERVES AND CRANIAL GANGLIA OF ANGUILLA ANGUILLA (LINNAEUS, 1758) EYE MUSCLE NERVES

The aim of this study is to analyze the ocular muscle nerves and the ciliary ganglion of the anguillid fish Anguilla anguilla. The ocular muscle nerves comprise the nervi oculomotorius, trochlearis and abducens. The oculomotor nerve leaves the cranial cavity together with the nervus abducens through a common foramen. It innervates four eye muscles rectus superior, rectus inferior, rectus medialis and the obliquus inferior muscles. It carries pure somatic motor fibers and visceromotor (parasympathetic) ones. There is no ciliary ganglion but, there is one ciliary nerve arising from the nervus oculomotorius. The trochlear nerve has its own foramen and carries pure somatic motor fibers to the superior obliquemuscle. The abducens nerve has a single root. It leaves the cranial cavity through a common foramen together with the nervus oculomotorius. It carries pure somatic motor fibers to the rectus lateralis muscle.