Any of a pair of large, easily identifiable, reticulospinal neurons at the level of the ear in the hindbrain. Importantly, they enable the escape reflex. Inner ear vestibular and auditory neurons form synapses on the lateral dendrite of the ipsilateral Mauthner cell, which in turn form synapses on contralateral spinal motor neurons to activate the C-start escape response. [ XAO:curators ]