Earth-strength magnetic field affects the rheotactic threshold of zebrafish swimming in shoals.

Details

• Journal Title:
  Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part A: Molecular & Integrative Physiology
• Personal Author:
  Cresci, Alessandro ; De Rosa, Rosario ; Putman, Nathan F. ; Agnisola, Claudio
• NOAA Program & Office:
  OAR (Oceanic and Atmospheric Research) ; AOML (Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory) ; CIMAS (Cooperative Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Studies)
• Description:
  Rheotaxis, the unconditioned orienting response to water currents, is a main component of fish behavior. Rheotaxis is achieved using multiple sensory systems, including visual and tactile cues. Rheotactic orientation in open or low-visibility waters might also benefit from the stable frame of reference provided by the geomagnetic field, but this possibility has not been explored before. Zebrafish (Danio rerio) form shoals living in freshwater systems with low visibility, show a robust positive rheotaxis, and respond to geomagnetic fields. Here, we investigated whether a static magnetic field in the Earth-strength range influenced the rheotactic threshold of zebrafish in a swimming tunnel. The direction of the horizontal component of the magnetic field relative to water flow influenced the rheotactic threshold of fish as part of a shoal, but not of fish tested alone. Results obtained after disabling the lateral line of shoaling individuals with Co2+ suggest that this organ system is involved in the observed magneto-rheotactic response. These findings constitute preliminary evidence that magnetic fields influence rheotaxis and suggest new avenues for further research.
• Keywords:
  Logperch Magnetic Fields Rheotaxis Magnetic Fields Shoal Zebrafish
• Source:
  Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part A, 204: 169-176
• DOI:
  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cbpa.2016.11.019
• Document Type:
  Journal Article
• Rights Information:
  Accepted Manuscript
• Rights Statement:
  The NOAA IR provides access to this content under the authority of the government's retained license to distribute publications and data resulting from federal funding. While users may legally access this content, the copyright owners retain rights that govern the reproduction, redistribution, and re-use of this work. The user is solely responsible for complying with applicable copyright law.
• Compliance:
  Submitted
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:37926b6e3f5a1607600850b812e7988d978dc4890adc140109e13851805b0d6e65c189763e9f651e46efbb2c5cb6291a3061a7e6b7197c1eb275e4baa077f18a
• Download URL:
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