Synopsis
Small microcharacidsCheirodon pulcher were netted during the dry season in pools of the savanna ‘llanos’ at a considerable distance from the main river channel. Fish could have moved from the river to these pools using sun-compass orientation. Orientation responses of these fish were tested in a four-armed experimental device, exposed to direct sunlight or to azimuth-inverted sunlight reflected by a mirror. Groups of 20 fish were placed in a central area, released and then counted in the arm traps. When exposed to direct sunlight, fish oriented south, both in the morning and afternoon. Nevertheless, when the sun azimuth was inverted they oriented north, indicating that they use a sun-compass and that they compensate for sun-azimuth inversion at noon in a way that geographic headings remain constant throughout the day. These results reinforce previous laboratory interpretations which suggested that these flood plain species migrate inland during the high-water period and return to the main river channels before the dry season begins.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
References cited
Belmonte, P. &; L. Levin. 1987. Orientación a un ángulo con la luz en cardumenes deMoenkhausia dichroura Kner: un modelo de reloj circanual. Acta Científica Venezolana 38: 484–489.
Daget, J. 1960. Les migrations de poissons dans les eaux douces tropicales africaines. Proc. IPFC. 8: 79–82.
Hasler, A.D. 1971. Orientation and fish migration. pp. 429–510. In: W.S. Hoar &; D.J. Randall (ed.) Fish Physiology, Vol. 6. Academic Press, New York.
Horton, R.E. 1945. Erosional development of streams and their drainage basins: hydrophysical approach to quantitative morphology. Bull. Geol. Soc. Am. 56: 275–370.
Levin, L. 1986. Los peces no rodean un obstáculo transparente. Acta Científica Venezolana 37: 461–462.
Levin, L.E. &; P. Belmonte. 1988. Oriented swimming at an angle to light in a schooling characid,Moenkhausia dichroura Kner. J. Fish Biol. 32: 169–177.
Levin, L. E., R. Salazar &; P. Belmonte. 1986. La orientacíon de los peces con el ángulo de la luz depende del nivel de agua. Acta Científica Venezolana 37: 216–217.
Levin, L.E., R. Salazar, P. Belmonte &; A. Romero. 1989. Light-oriented swimming of schooling fish in continuous channels. Env. Biol. Fish. 24: 145–150.
Mago-Leccia, F. 1970. Estudios preliminares sobre la ecología de los peces de los llanos de Venezuela. Acta Biológica Venezolana 7: 71–102.
Northcote, T.G. 1984. Mechanisms of fish migration in rivers. pp. 317–355. In: J.D. McCleave, G.P. Arnold, J.J. Dodson &; W.H. Neill (ed.) Mechanisms of Migration in Fishes, Plenum Press, New York.
Quinn, T.P. 1980. Evidence for celestial and magnetic compass orientation in lake migrating sockeye fry. J. Comp. Physiol. 137: 243–248.
Smith, R.J.F. 1985. The control of fish migration. Springer-Verlag, Heidelberg. 243 pp.
Walter, H. &; E. Medina. 1971. Caracterización climática de Venezuela sobre la base de climadiagramas de estaciones particulares. Boletín de la Sociedad Venezolana de Ciencias Naturales 29: 211–240.
Welcomme, R.L. 1979. Fisheries ecology of floodplain rivers. Longman, New York. 317 pp.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Levin, L.E., Belmonte, P. & González, O. Sun-compass orientation in the characidCheirodon pulcher . Environ Biol Fish 35, 321–325 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00001900
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00001900