Sensory basis of the orientation to a home site in the radiated shanny, Ulvaria Subbifurcata (Storer) 1839 (Pisces: Stichaeidae)

Goff, Gregory P. (1977) Sensory basis of the orientation to a home site in the radiated shanny, Ulvaria Subbifurcata (Storer) 1839 (Pisces: Stichaeidae). Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

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Abstract

The roles of olfaction and vision in the homing and orientation to a home site of Ulvaria subbifurcata were investigated. These were examined by studying the home site fidelity and the homing performance of normal, blind, and anosmic fish. The orientation to a home site at a distance of 33 m of normal, bilaterally blind, bilaterally anosmic and unilaterally blind and anosmic fish was also studied. The activity pattern of normal and sensory impaired fish was examined in the laboratory. The home site resighting of replaced normal and anosmic fish did not differ significantly while resightings of replaced blind fish were somewhat lower. However resightings in the home site following displacement did not differ for normal and blind fish while there was a significant decrease in the number of anosmic fish resighted. Significantly fewer anosmic fish were able to home following long distance compared to short distance displacements. When normal, anosmic and blind fish were held out of the home sites for 7+ weeks and then displaced, there was a significant decrease in the home site resighting of normal fish. Normal, bilaterally blind and unilaterally blind and anosmic fish were able to orient in the direction of the home site from 33 m away. Anosmic fish oriented in a direction significantly different from the home direction. From the orientation and homing experiments olfactory contact with the home site is considered to be the steering mechanism in homing. The home site fidelity and short distance homing of anosmic fish indicated vision may also be involved in recognition of the areas around the home site.

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