Can chemical cues act as landmarks in the orientation of the cave fish Phreatichthys andruzzii?

2010 ◽  
Vol 88 (9) ◽  
pp. 884-888 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. Ceccolini ◽  
A. Paglianti ◽  
C. Streitenberger ◽  
R. Berti
Keyword(s):  
Chemical Cues ◽  
Spatial Information ◽  
Neutral Stimulus ◽  
Food Sources ◽  
Constant Darkness ◽  
Locomotory Activity ◽  
Fish Locomotion ◽  
Trophic Resources ◽  
Acclimation Period ◽  
Short Time

In the constant darkness of cave environments fish locomotion has to be directed by nonvisual spatial information. Four series of tests were done to determine the ability of the hypogean cyprinid Phreatichthys andruzzii Vinciguerra, 1924 to memorize a synthetic chemical cue (morpholine, C4H9NO), to associate it with an area, to utilize such information for direct locomotory activity, and to determine how long that association is retained in fish memory. Although morpholine acts as neutral stimulus for P. andruzzii, after acclimation in morpholine-scented areas devoid of food resources specimens showed a clear tendency to avoid waters characterized by the odour of that chemical. We hypothesize that an association between odours and trophic characteristics of an area allows the fish to optimize their exploratory activity, as it allows them to recognize areas already experienced to be devoid of trophic resources and to avoid these as unprofitable places. The above association seems to be memorized for a short time; the behavioural response vanishing between 6 and 18 h after the end of the acclimation period. After a certain time has elapsed, it could be profitable to visit the same areas again to verify the incidental availability of new food sources.

scholarly journals Experimental evidence that habitat-specific chemical cues influence fish preference patterns

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charles W Martin
Keyword(s):  
Chemical Cues ◽  
Habitat Preferences ◽  
Hydrilla Verticillata ◽  
Food Sources ◽  
Sediment Runoff ◽  
Specific Chemical ◽  
Anthropogenic Inputs ◽  
Sailfin Molly ◽  
Plant Chemical ◽  
Preference Patterns

Vegetated habitats provide numerous benefits to nekton, including structural refuge from predators and food sources. However, the sensory mechanisms by which fishes locate these habitats remain unclear for many species, especially when environmental conditions (such as increased turbidity) are unfavorable for visual identification of habitats. Here, a series of laboratory experiments test whether three species of adult fish (golden topminnow Fundulus chrysotus Günther 1866, sailfin molly Poecilia latipinna Lesueur 1821, and western mosquitofish Gambusia affinis Baird and Girard 1853) use plant chemical cues to orient to one of two habitats (hydrilla Hydrilla verticillata (L.f.) Royle or water hyacinth Eichhornia crassipes (Mart.) Solms). First, experiments in aquaria were conducted offering fish a choice of the two habitats to determine preference patterns. Next, a two-channel flume, with each side containing flow originating in one of the two habitats, was used to determine if preferences were still exhibited when fish could only detect habitats through olfactory means. While patterns among the three fish species tested here were variable, results did indicate consistent habitat preferences despite the lack of cues other than olfactory, suggesting that these organisms are capable of discriminating habitats via chemical exudates from plants. As such, olfactory mechanisms likely provide vital information about the surrounding environment and future work should be directed at determining how anthropogenic inputs such as eutrophication and sediment runoff affect the physiology of these sensory capabilities.

Antipredator behavior of chytridiomycosis-infected northern leopard frog (Rana pipiens) tadpoles

2006 ◽  
Vol 84 (1) ◽  
pp. 58-65 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew J Parris ◽  
Elisheva Reese ◽  
Andrew Storfer
Keyword(s):  
Rana Pipiens ◽  
Chemical Cues ◽  
Spatial Information ◽  
Antipredator Behavior ◽  
Lepomis Macrochirus ◽  
Host Susceptibility ◽  
Leopard Frog ◽  
Population Declines ◽  
Fish Predator ◽  
Northern Leopard Frog

We investigated the effects of Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis Longcore, Pessier & Nichols, a pathogen implicated in global amphibian population declines, on antipredator behavior of northern leopard frog (Rana pipiens Schreber, 1782) tadpoles in response to visual and chemical cues of a fish predator, bluegill sunfish (Lepomis macrochirus Rafinesque, 1819). We placed infected and uninfected tadpoles in containers partitioned with a transparent divider and measured tadpole activity and distance from the center. Infected tadpoles had significantly lower activity levels across all treatments. When exposed to only visual cues, uninfected tadpoles positioned themselves farther from the center divider (and thus the predator) than infected animals. All tadpoles were at similar distances from the center when exposed to chemical cues only, likely because chemical cues alone do not provide spatial information on the location of predators. Infected tadpoles were significantly farther from the center divider than uninfected ones when exposed to visual and chemical cues together, suggesting that, although the mechanism is unknown, both cues are necessary to stimulate predator avoidance behavior for infected animals. In a second experiment, infected tadpoles experienced lower mortality than uninfected ones in the lethal presence of fish. Thus, effects of infection on behavioral antipredator responses are complex, but lower host susceptibility to predation, low activity, and greater distance from predators when both chemical and visual predator cues are present likely benefits B. dendrobatidis, which relies on host survival for transmission.

Dark-suppression and light-sensitization of horizontal cell responses in the hybrid bass retina

1995 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 611-620 ◽  
Author(s):  
William H. Baldridge ◽  
Reto Weiler ◽  
John E. Dowling
Keyword(s):  
Response Time ◽  
Horizontal Cell ◽  
Time Of Day ◽  
Horizontal Cells ◽  
Continuous Illumination ◽  
Constant Darkness ◽  
Peak Response ◽  
Cell Responses ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Short Time

AbstractThe responsiveness of luminosity-type horizontal cells, recorded intracellularly from isolated hybrid bass retinas, decreased after superfusion for 2 h in constant darkness. Responsiveness was subsequently increased (light-sensitized) up to 10-fold after exposure to several short (~0.5 min) periods of continuous illumination. The increase in horizontal cell responsiveness following light-sensitization was due to an increase of peak response amplitude rather than a reduction of peak response time. The increased responsiveness after light-sensitization was intensity-dependent with brighter sensitizing stimuli causing a greater increase than dimmer stimuli. The extent of LHC dark-suppression was affected by the time of day, being greater when induced during the night than during the day. However, there was no significant difference in horizontal cell responsiveness after light-sensitization in retinas studied during the night compared to those studied during the day The responsiveness of light-sensitized horizontal cells from isolated hybrid bass retinas was found to be suppressed by relatively brief periods of darkness. The responsiveness of horizontal cells, that were first light-sensitized, decreased by more than 50% following only 5 min of darkness. Suppression of light-sensitized horizontal cell responsiveness after such a short time in the dark has not been described in other teleost retinas. The suppression of light-sensitized horizontal cell responsiveness in hybrid bass retinas may be rapid in comparison to other teleosts.

scholarly journals Immunological Analytical Techniques for Cosmetics Quality Control and Process Monitoring

Processes ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (11) ◽  
pp. 1982
Author(s):  
Martina Zangheri ◽  
Maria Maddalena Calabretta ◽  
Donato Calabria ◽  
Jessica Fiori ◽  
Massimo Guardigli ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Control ◽  
Analytical Methods ◽  
Ad Hoc ◽  
Raw Materials ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Analytical Techniques ◽  
Food Sources ◽  
Immunological Methods ◽  
Target Analytes ◽  
Short Time

Cosmetics analysis represents a rapidly expanding field of analytical chemistry as new cosmetic formulations are increasingly in demand on the market and the ingredients required for their production are constantly evolving. Each country applies strict legislation regarding substances in the final product that must be prohibited or regulated. To verify the compliance of cosmetics with current regulations, official analytical methods are available to reveal and quantitatively determine the analytes of interest. However, since ingredients, and the lists of regulated/prohibited substances, rapidly change, dedicated analytical methods must be developed ad hoc to fulfill the new requirements. Research focuses on finding innovative techniques that allow a rapid, inexpensive, and sensitive detection of the target analytes in cosmetics. Among the different methods proposed, immunological techniques are gaining interest, as they make it possible to carry out low-cost analyses on raw materials and finished products in a relatively short time. Indeed, immunoassays are based on the specific and selective antibody/antigen reaction, and they have been extensively applied for clinical diagnostic, alimentary quality control and environmental security purposes, and even for routine analysis. Since the complexity and variability of the matrices, as well as the great variety of compounds present in cosmetics, are analogous with those from food sources, immunological methods could also be applied successfully in this field. Indeed, this would provide a valid approach for the monitoring of industrial production chains even in developing countries, which are currently the greatest producers of cosmetics and the major exporters of raw materials. This review aims to highlight the immunological techniques proposed for cosmetics analysis, focusing on the detection of prohibited/regulated compounds, bacteria and toxins, and allergenic substances, and the identification of counterfeits.

scholarly journals Experimental evidence that habitat-specific chemical cues influence fish preference patterns

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charles W Martin
Keyword(s):  
Chemical Cues ◽  
Habitat Preferences ◽  
Hydrilla Verticillata ◽  
Food Sources ◽  
Sediment Runoff ◽  
Specific Chemical ◽  
Anthropogenic Inputs ◽  
Sailfin Molly ◽  
Plant Chemical ◽  
Preference Patterns

Vegetated habitats provide numerous benefits to nekton, including structural refuge from predators and food sources. However, the sensory mechanisms by which fishes locate these habitats remain unclear for many species, especially when environmental conditions (such as increased turbidity) are unfavorable for visual identification of habitats. Here, a series of laboratory experiments test whether three species of adult fish (golden topminnow Fundulus chrysotus Günther 1866, sailfin molly Poecilia latipinna Lesueur 1821, and western mosquitofish Gambusia affinis Baird and Girard 1853) use plant chemical cues to orient to one of two habitats (hydrilla Hydrilla verticillata (L.f.) Royle or water hyacinth Eichhornia crassipes (Mart.) Solms). First, experiments in aquaria were conducted offering fish a choice of the two habitats to determine preference patterns. Next, a two-channel flume, with each side containing flow originating in one of the two habitats, was used to determine if preferences were still exhibited when fish could only detect habitats through olfactory means. While patterns among the three fish species tested here were variable, results did indicate consistent habitat preferences despite the lack of cues other than olfactory, suggesting that these organisms are capable of discriminating habitats via chemical exudates from plants. As such, olfactory mechanisms likely provide vital information about the surrounding environment and future work should be directed at determining how anthropogenic inputs such as eutrophication and sediment runoff affect the physiology of these sensory capabilities.

scholarly journals Drosophila adult and larval pheromones modulate larval food choice

2014 ◽  
Vol 281 (1784) ◽  
pp. 20140043 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jean-Pierre Farine ◽  
Jérôme Cortot ◽  
Jean-François Ferveur
Keyword(s):  
Food Choice ◽  
Food Preference ◽  
Chemical Cues ◽  
Food Sources ◽  
Natural Food ◽  
Larval Food ◽  
Specific Chemical ◽  
Drosophila Buzzatii ◽  
Adult Conspecific ◽  
Species Specific

Insects use chemosensory cues to feed and mate. In Drosophila , the effect of pheromones has been extensively investigated in adults, but rarely in larvae. The colonization of natural food sources by Drosophila buzzatii and Drosophila simulans species may depend on species-specific chemical cues left in the food by larvae and adults. We identified such chemicals in both species and measured their influence on larval food preference and puparation behaviour. We also tested compounds that varied between these species: (i) two larval volatile compounds: hydroxy-3-butanone-2 and phenol (predominant in D. simulans and D. buzzatii , respectively), and (ii) adult cuticular hydrocarbons (CHs). Drosophila buzzatii larvae were rapidly attracted to non-CH adult conspecific cues, whereas D. simulans larvae were strongly repulsed by CHs of the two species and also by phenol. Larval cues from both species generally reduced larval attraction and pupariation on food, which was generally—but not always—low, and rarely reflected larval response. As these larval and adult pheromones specifically influence larval food search and the choice of a pupariation site, they may greatly affect the dispersion and survival of Drosophila species in nature.

scholarly journals Investigation of Daily Natural and Rapid Human Effects on the Air Temperature of The Hajnóczy Cave in Bükk Mountains

2013 ◽  
Vol 6 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 21-29
Author(s):  
Beáta Muladi ◽  
László Mucsi
Keyword(s):  
Air Temperature ◽  
Temperature Fluctuation ◽  
Spatial Information ◽  
Climatic Variability ◽  
Natural Phenomena ◽  
Air Humidity ◽  
Digital Thermometer ◽  
Long Time ◽  
Human Effects ◽  
Short Time

Abstract The aim of this study the authors measured and analyzed the effect of the exterior daily temperature change on the interior temperature in a dripstone cave visited by cavers exclusively. The measurement was carried out in the Hajnóczy Cave located in the southern part of Bükk Mountains in Hungary. Although only one entrance is known, there are more evidences for the strong effect of exterior conditions on the interior processes like temperature fluctuation and dripstone development. Using high resolution wireless digital thermometer sensor network the air temperature and air humidity were measured in 32 points in every 10 minutes for long time but now the data of a 8-days period were analyzed. Based on these data different zones of the cave could be separated and during summer conditions the climatic variability of the entrance transitional and deep cave zone was described. Based on statistical analysis of spatial information significant correlation was found between the exterior temperature fluctuation and that of such a cave chamber, which is relatively far from the cave entrance. This fact proves that existence of a fissure system which is permeable for air but not passable for cavers. During the measurement the human effect was also analyzed and 0.3-0.6 °C temperature rising was recognized for a short time. Because of the surface vicinity the effects of the environmental change can have sensible impact on the cave and its natural phenomena. Among others temperature rising, air humidity decreasing were detected in present study.

Site Experiment for Predicting Hazardous Geological Formations ahead of Tunnel Face

2006 ◽  
Vol 326-328 ◽  
pp. 461-464 ◽  
Author(s):  
C.N. Lin ◽  
Yu Yong Jiao ◽  
Q.S. Liu
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Information ◽  
Test Procedure ◽  
Railway Tunnel ◽  
Tunnel Face ◽  
Drilling Method ◽  
The Face ◽  
The Stability ◽  
The Moment ◽  
Under Construction ◽  
Short Time

In the construction of railways in western part of China, more and more long tunnels have been excavated these years, and several ones are under construction at the moment. Because of the complex geologies like faults, fractured zones, karst cavities as well as water bearing formations, the stability and safety of tunnels have been challenging topics in the construction process. In this regard, the advance knowledge of the location, size, and spatial information of the uncertainties ahead of the face is very important to the contractors. In this paper, by using the Tunneling Seismic Prediction (TSP) technique, site experiments are performed to predict hazardous formations ahead of face in a railway tunnel. Through interpretation of the testing data, the wave velocities and the mechanical parameters of the surrounding rock are obtained, and the faults/fractures are recognized. The study shows that compared to time-consuming core drilling method, the wave reflection based TSP method can predict major uncertain formations in long range ahead of the face in short time. The downtime, as we know, is one of the key factors in speeding the tunnel construction. For the prediction accuracy, the TSP technique is able to provide enough information due to its multiple proof-test procedure.

Segmentation and Edge Extraction of Grayscale Images Using Firefly and Artificial Bee Colony Algorithms

2020 ◽  
pp. 78-99
Author(s):  
Donatella Giuliani
Keyword(s):  
Firefly Algorithm ◽  
Artificial Bee Colony ◽  
Spatial Information ◽  
Search Space ◽  
Gaussian Mixture ◽  
Food Sources ◽  
Bayes Rule ◽  
Prior Probabilities ◽  
Bee Colony ◽  
Homogeneous Regions

This chapter proposes an unsupervised grayscale image segmentation method based on the Firefly and Artificial Bee Colony algorithms. The Firefly Algorithm is applied in a histogram-based research of cluster centroids to determine the number of clusters and the gray levels, successively used in the initialization step for the parameter estimation of a Gaussian Mixture Model. The coefficients of the linear super-position of Gaussians can be thought of as prior probabilities of each component. Applying the Bayes rule, the posterior probabilities of the grayscale intensities are evaluated and their maxima are used to assign each pixel to clusters. Subsequently, region spatial information is extracted to form homogeneous regions through ABC algorithm. Initially, scout bees are moving on the search space describing random paths, with food sources given by the detected homogeneous regions. Then onlooker bees rush to scouts' aid proportionally to unclassified pixels enclosed into the bounded boxes of the discovered regions.

scholarly journals Tracking Changes of Hidden Food: Spatial Pattern Learning in Two Macaw Species

Birds ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
pp. 285-301
Author(s):  
Pizza Ka Yee Chow ◽  
James R. Davies ◽  
Awani Bapat ◽  
Auguste M. P. von Bayern
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Pattern ◽  
Food Availability ◽  
Spatial Information ◽  
Distribution Patterns ◽  
Learning Performance ◽  
Food Sources ◽  
Pattern Learning ◽  
Generalist Species ◽  
Habitat Specialisation ◽  
Alternative Food Sources

Food availability may vary spatially and temporally within an environment. Efficiency in locating alternative food sources using spatial information (e.g., distribution patterns) may vary according to a species’ diet and habitat specialisation. Hypothetically, more generalist species would learn faster than more specialist species due to being more explorative when changes occur. We tested this hypothesis in two closely related macaw species, differing in their degree of diet and habitat specialisation; the more generalist Great Green Macaw and the more specialist Blue-throated Macaw. We examined their spatial pattern learning performance under predictable temporal and spatial change, using a ‘poke box’ that contained hidden food placed within wells. Each week, the rewarded wells formed two patterns (A and B), which were changed on a mid-week schedule. We found that the two patterns varied in their difficulty. We also found that the more generalist Great Green Macaws took fewer trials to learn the easier pattern and made more mean correct responses in the difficult pattern than the more specialist Blue-throated Macaws, thus supporting our hypothesis. The better learning performance of the Great Green Macaws may be explained by more exploration and trading-off accuracy for speed. These results suggest how variation in diet and habitat specialisation may relate to a species’ ability to adapt to spatial variation in food availability.

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