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Rhythms in Fishes pp 127–135Cite as

Sleep, Inactivity and Circadian Rhythms in Fish

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Part of the book series: NATO ASI Series ((NSSA,volume 236))

Abstract

Sleep is a behaviour pattern that can be observed in most animals, yet its adaptive significance is still a matter of debate. One view, developed and championed by Meddis (1975, 1977), is that sleep acts as an immobiliser. By forcing an animal to find a safe shelter and remain immobile in it during an ecologically unprofitable part of the solar day, sleep renders the animal less vulnerable to predators. Moreover, by making it less sensitive to external stimuli, sleep allows the animal to conserve energy.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Département de Biologie, Université de Moncton, Moncton, NB, E1A 3E9, Canada

    Stéphan Reebs

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  1. Stéphan Reebs
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  1. University of Montreal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada

    M. A. Ali

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© 1992 Springer Science+Business Media New York

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Reebs, S. (1992). Sleep, Inactivity and Circadian Rhythms in Fish. In: Ali, M.A. (eds) Rhythms in Fishes. NATO ASI Series, vol 236. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-3042-8_10

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-3042-8_10

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4613-6326-2

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