Orientation affects the sensitivity of Acartia tonsa to fluid mechanical signals |
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Authors: | David M Fields |
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Institution: | (1) Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences, West Boothbay Harbor, ME 04575, USA |
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Abstract: | Nearly all organisms show directional bias in sensitivity to environmental signals. In this study, the behavioral sensitivity
of a common estuarine copepod, Acartia tonsa, varies significantly with respect to their orientation to a well-characterized fluid mechanical signal. Maximum sensitivity
occurs at an angle of 25°–30° and lowest sensitivity occurs at angles of 60°–90° relative to the source. These results support
the hypothesis that copepods are not uniformly sensitive to fluid signals and show directional bias in mechanosensitivity.
The data also show that large copepods initiate their escape reaction further from the source than small copepods. There is,
however, an uncharacteristically large increase in sensitivity at the transition between the nauplii and C1 stage despite
being similar in size. This suggests that the mechanosensory system of the naupliar stages is less sensitive to fluid signals
and helps to explain the higher predation rates experienced by nauplii. |
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