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The influence of turbulence on the sensory basis of rheotaxis

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Abstract

Rheotaxis is a widespread behavior with many potential benefits for fish and other aquatic animals, yet the sensory basis of rheotaxis under different fluvial conditions is still poorly understood. Here, we examine the role that vision and the lateral line play in the rheotactic behavior of a stream-dwelling species (Mexican tetra, Astyanax mexicanus) under both rectilinear and turbulent flow conditions. Turbulence lowered the flow speed at which threshold levels of rheotactic performance were elicited, an effect that was independent of sensory condition. Compared to fish with access to visual information, fish without access exhibited cross-stream casting behaviors and a decrease in the accuracy with which they oriented upstream. Visual deprivation effects were independent of availability of lateral line information and whether flow was rectilinear or turbulent. Fish deprived of lateral line information exhibited no measureable deficits under any of the conditions of this study. This study indicates that rheotactic abilities persist in the absence of both vision and lateral line under both turbulent and non-turbulent conditions, but that turbulence enhances either the motivation or ability of fish to orient to slow currents.

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Abbreviations

LL:

Lateral line

PRI:

Positive rheotactic index

RA:

Rheotactic accuracy

TGS:

Turbulence-generating structure

V:

Vision

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank Timothy Bonner for supplying the Mexican tetra, Steve Queen for the construction of the flow tank, Nancy Boudreau and Joe Bak-Coleman for assistance with the statistical analyses and one anonymous reviewer for raising the important issue of turbulence scale and the IPOS framework for studies on turbulence. This work was supported by the Office of Naval Research [award N00014-12-1-0375] to S.C. All applicable international, national, and/or institutional guidelines for the care and use of animals were followed.

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  1. Department of Biological Sciences, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH, 43403, USA

    John Elder & Sheryl Coombs

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  1. John Elder
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  2. Sheryl Coombs
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Correspondence to Sheryl Coombs.

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Elder, J., Coombs, S. The influence of turbulence on the sensory basis of rheotaxis. J Comp Physiol A 201, 667–680 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00359-015-1014-7

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