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Waterstriders (Gerris paludum F.) compensate for drift with a discontinuously working visual position servo

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Summary

Waterstriders on ponds and creeks compensate for displacement caused by wind or water current with periodical jumps against the direction of drift. This behavior is mediated by visual stimuli.

  1. 1.

    Waterstriders are able to detect the direction and extent of their displacement on an artificial canal when visual cues are reduced to a single point-like light source above the upstream end of the canal. They adjust the frequency and direction of the compensatory jumps to keep their mean position on the canal constant. The mean amplitude of the jumps is constant and independent of the stream velocity.

  2. 2.

    During drift compensation the light spot is kept in the frontal visual field at a fixed angle of elevation. This set angle differs among individuals and can be changed with time.

  3. 3.

    The station-keeping ability can hardly be explained by a velocity servo system since there is no accumulating position error. The average compensatory movements are governed by a discontinuously working position servo.

  4. 4.

    When the light spot is switched off, a few jumps are still performed. Jumps, therefore, are not triggered individually by visual cues. Waterstriders must possess an endogenous jump-generator.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Lehrstuhl für Biokybernetik, Universität Tübingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 28, W-7400, Tübingen 1, Germany

    W. Junger

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  1. W. Junger
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Junger, W. Waterstriders (Gerris paludum F.) compensate for drift with a discontinuously working visual position servo. J Comp Physiol A 169, 633–639 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00193553

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00193553

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