The visual sensitivity of zebrafish in which the retinal dopaminergic interplexiform cells (DA-IPCs) were destroyed by 6-hydroxydopamine was measured behaviorally. During the first 6-8 min of dark adaptation, visual thresholds of DA-IPC-depleted animals were similar to those of control animals. Thereafter, their visual thresholds were elevated so that by 14-18 min of dark adaptation, they were 2-3 log units above those of control animals. In DA-IPC-depleted animals, the electroretinogram was normal in terms of light sensitivity and waveform, but the light threshold for eliciting a ganglion cell discharge was raised by 1.8 log units as compared with control animals. No obvious rod system function was detected in DA-IPC-depleted animals as measured behaviorally. Partial rescue of the behavioral visual sensitivity loss in DA-IPC-depleted animals occurred when dopamine or a long-acting dopamine agonist (2-amino-6, 7-dihydroxy-1, 2, 3, 4-tetrahydronaphthalene hydrobromide) were injected intraocularly. Our data suggest that the principal visual defect shown by DA-IPC-depleted animals is attributable to effects occurring in the inner retina, mainly on rod signals. We also show that dopamine is involved in mediating the effect of the circadian clock on visual sensitivity.