![]() ![]() However, the olfactory system in some flatfishes reveals a striking brain anatomical asymmetry (see Figure 1C). Although both eyes are on one side of the head in these animals, the visual regions within the brain are symmetrical. Having both eyes on the same side allows the fish to remain inconspicuous while retaining full vision to look for prey.įigure 1 Exaggerated Asymmetry in the FlounderĪll flatfishes belong to the order Pleuronectiformes, and all fish in this order are asymmetrical as adults. When prey comes near, the flatfish darts out to capture it. ![]() Most flatfishes spend a large part of their time lying on the bottom of the sea, often covered with a light layer of sand, with only their eyes and nostrils exposed. Some flatfishes are right-eyed, with both eyes on the right side of the head others are left-eyed. When the fish hatches from an egg, it has an ordinary fishlike symmetrical form, but as it develops, one eye migrates across the top of the head (see Figure 1B). This structural oddity emerges during development. In adult flatfishes (see Figure 1A), both eyes are on the same side of the head (Picasso wasn’t the first to think of this arrangement). Among flatfishes-including such well-known edible fish as sole, flounder, and halibut-there are startling examples of body asymmetry that also include the brain (Rao and Finger, 1984). But a closer look reveals important exceptions. ![]() A quick glance in the mirror and equally fleeting views of other vertebrates suggest that bilateral symmetry of the body is commonplace among animals. ![]()
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