Rhythmic responsiveness to visual stimuli in different populations of talitrid amphipods from Atlantic and Mediterranean coasts: an ecological interpretation

Mezzetti, M. C.; Naylor, E.; Scapini, Felicita

doi:10.1016/0022-0981(94)90133-3

Cited by 29 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 13 publications

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“…Preliminary electrophysiological studies (Ugolini et al, 1996) and several behavioral studies (e.g. Mezzetti et al, 1994;Mezzetti and Scapini, 1995;Ugolini et al, 2006) suggest that talitrids use chromatic choice to maintain their supratidal position on beaches. Of particular importance are wavelengths in the blue and green spectral regions, considered to represent positions of 'sea' and 'land', respectively (Ugolini et al, 2006).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Visual physiology underlying orientation and diel behavior in the sand beach amphipod Talorchestia longicornis

Cohen

Cronin

Lessios

et al. 2010

Journal of Experimental Biology

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SUMMARYTalitrid amphipods employ vision for zonal recovery behaviors on sand beaches and for entraining circadian activity rhythms. Using a hierarchy of methods, we examined visual spectral and response-intensity functions in Talorchestia longicornis, a species in which orientation and rhythm entrainment are wavelength-specific behaviors. Microspectrophotometry, electroretinogram recording and behavioral assays were used to determine visual pigments, retinal spectral sensitivity and wholeanimal spectral responsivity, respectively. Diel changes in absolute sensitivity were also investigated at retinal and whole-animal levels. Two receptor spectral classes were identified, with values for visual pigment  max of 427 and 518nm. Retinal spectral sensitivity varied with electrode position along the distal-proximal axis. Chromatic adaptation of distal and proximal photoreceptors resulted in sensitivity peaks at 430 and 522nm, respectively. In accordance with identified visual pigments and spectral sensitivity, T. longicornis photobehavioral responsivity covered a broad range (420-580nm). Collectively, a dualpigment visual system underlies wavelength-specific behavior in T. longicornis, with the short-wavelength pigment likely to be localized in the distal R5 retinular cell. While response-intensity functions did not change over the diel cycle at the retinal level, behavioral photoresponsiveness varied between day and night. At a wavelength used by T. longicornis for celestial orientation (420nm), photobehavior was heightened at night, potentially aiding in nocturnal orientation. By contrast, at a wavelength used to entrain its circadian rhythm (520nm) and for routine visual tasks, photobehavior was heightened during the day, and spectral sensitivity matched to the twilight spectrum, facilitating crepuscular vision and entrainment by irradiance at sunrise and sunset.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Visual physiology underlying orientation and diel behavior in the sand beach amphipod Talorchestia longicornis

Cohen

Cronin

Lessios

et al. 2010

Journal of Experimental Biology

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“…Visual stimuli are commonly emphasised, including the beach slope, landmarks, the dark strip of the sand dune or berm on the horizon, the sky polarisation pattern, and the sun and moon compass (Craig 1973;Edwards and Naylor 1987;Scapini et al 1993;Mezzetti et al 1994;Scapini 1997). Our findings suggest that amphipods do not use visual cues to detect potential food sources.…”

Section: Amphipods Use Olfactory Cues To Detect Freshly Deposited Wramentioning

confidence: 49%

“…Talitrid amphipods rely on subtle beach gradients and landmarks to navigate on wide beaches (Craig 1973;Edwards and Naylor 1987;Scapini et al 1993;Mezzetti et al 1994;Scapini 1997). What remains poorly known is how the spatial structure of wrack patches influences patterns of amphipod colonisation that, in turn, translates into ecological processes in the marine-terrestrial ecotone.…”

Section: Tidal Height Affects Colonisation Of Fresh Wrack Patchesmentioning

confidence: 98%

Colonisation of Beach-Cast Macrophyte Wrack Patches by Talitrid Amphipods: A Primer

Pelletier

Jelinski

Treplin

et al. 2011

Estuaries and Coasts

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Sandy beaches are characterised by heterogeneously distributed food sources both in time and space. The major energy supply is derived from marine subsidies in the form of beach-cast macrophyte wrack. Wrack patches are short-lived, and their position on the beaches varies with tidal and seasonal cycles as well as weather conditions. Little is known about how sandy beach inhabitants orient themselves towards, and colonise, wrack patches. In a series of field studies on islands off Vancouver Island (British Columbia, Canada), colonisation patterns of wrack patches by beach fleas and sand hoppers (Amphipoda: Talitridae), the most abundant macrofaunal detritivores, were studied. As indicated by colonisation of experimental patches of wrack and wrack surrogates that were either visible or buried in the sand, beach fleas (Traskorchestia traskiana) rely on olfactory cues for locating freshly deposited wrack patches in their patchy and dynamic habitat. Dense colonisation of freshly deposited algal wrack generally occurred within less than 1 h but depended upon the tidal height of wrack patches. Beach flea density in freshly deposited wrack patches increased with increasing tidal height. By contrast, sand hoppers (Megalorchestia californiana) colonised freshly deposited wrack patches in densities that decreased with tidal height. Discussing these interspecific differences, we provide a primer for future detailed studies on transport of matter along the marineterrestrial gradient of sand beaches.

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“…Tunisian T. saltator, like same species and other talitridis from the Mediterranean (Scapini et al 1992;Mezzetti et al 1994;Nasri-Ammar & Morgan 2006) and Atlantic (Bregazzi & Naylor 1972;Williams 1983) coasts, show an endogenous nocturnal locomotor activity rhythm (Ayari & Nasri-Ammar 2011). By maintaining specimens of T. saltator displaying a free-running rhythm during the first week of experience, results revealed that this amphipod exhibits a circadian rhythm with a semi-diurnal component of about 12 h. According to the literature, this may be caused by the tides' rhythm (Scapini 1997;Fallaci et al 1999): landward migration at the time of high water was instead expected.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Response curves and free-running period of the circadian locomotor rhythm ofTalitrus saltator(Crustacea: Amphipoda)

Ayari-Akkari

Nasri–Ammar

2013

Biological Rhythm Research

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The amphipod, Talitrus saltator is a supralittoral species inhabits non-permanent burrows along the sandy beach. Its locomotor activity rhythm is largely studied in several beaches and by several authors. The present study was performed in order to better understand the limits of entraining of the locomotor rhythm of this species. The recording was carried in 30 specimens maintained individually, for the first six days in continuous darkness followed by light pulses of 3 h in constant darkness entraining all hours of the day, six days of recording separates the two successive pulses. After the experiment, the phase response curve is constructed to determine the sensitivity of this nocturnal species to light pulses.

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Rhythmic responsiveness to visual stimuli in different populations of talitrid amphipods from Atlantic and Mediterranean coasts: an ecological interpretation

Cited by 29 publications

References 13 publications

Visual physiology underlying orientation and diel behavior in the sand beach amphipod Talorchestia longicornis

Visual physiology underlying orientation and diel behavior in the sand beach amphipod Talorchestia longicornis

Colonisation of Beach-Cast Macrophyte Wrack Patches by Talitrid Amphipods: A Primer

Response curves and free-running period of the circadian locomotor rhythm ofTalitrus saltator(Crustacea: Amphipoda)

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