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The effect of salinity on the chemotaxis of glass eels, Anguilla anguilla, to organic earthy and green odorants

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The behaviour of upstream migrating glass eels to salt and brackish water solutions of 8 pure organic earthy and green odorants was investigated. In 35‰ salt water, IPMCET and D-MF are ineffective, while MMP, IBMP, MT, TMCE, ETMCE and L-MF are strongly repellent. Dissolved in brackish water, MMP and ETMCE become attractive. The strong attraction which glass eels show to earthy and green odorants emerges as the level of salinity is reduced, suggesting that these chemicals could be orienting cues in the last phase of glass eel migration.

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Sola, C., Tongiorgi, P. The effect of salinity on the chemotaxis of glass eels, Anguilla anguilla, to organic earthy and green odorants. Environ Biol Fish 47, 213–218 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00005045

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00005045

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