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Photokinetic responses and diel activity of sea lamprey Petromyzon marinus ammocoete larvae
Author(s) -
Reynolds W. W.,
Casterlin M. E.
Publication year - 1979
Publication title -
journal of fish biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.672
H-Index - 115
eISSN - 1095-8649
pISSN - 0022-1112
DOI - 10.1111/j.1095-8649.1979.tb03539.x
Subject(s) - petromyzon , lamprey , crepuscular , diel vertical migration , biology , larva , zoology , ecology , fishery , predation
Twenty‐four ammocoete larvae of the sea lamprey Petromyzon marinus were tested individually for 3‐day periods in electronic shuttleboxes (Ichthyotrons) with natural lighting through windows, to determine their diel activity pattern in terms of hourly percentages of the 24‐h total. Mean hourly activity was slightly greater during the day (4–7 % h −1 ) than at night (3·7% h −1 ). Peak hourly activity (7·2% h −1 ) occurred during the dawn crepuscular period as light levels were increasing, while the minimum hourly activity (1·6 % h ‐l ) occurred during the dusk crepuscular period while light levels were decreasing. The observed activity pattern is atypical of other aquatic animals similarly tested, and might be explained as an extraptically mediated photoinetic response.