Amino acids in stream water are essential for salmon homing migration

Sublethal toxicity of chlorpyrifos to salmonid olfaction after hypersaline acclimation

“…Decreasing the ability of fish to detect l-serine could impact survival as l-serine is thought to be a predator cue (Idler et al, 1956). Furthermore, amino acids are thought to be central to the migration of certain salmonids, hindering the ability to detect these cues could result in straying or ecological death (Shoji et al, 2000(Shoji et al, , 2003.…”

Orientation from open water to settlement habitats by coral reef fish: behavioral flexibility in the use of multiple reliable cues

“…Studies have shown that marine fish larvae are attracted to specific organic compounds produced by conspecifics (Lecchini et al 2005), such as fatty acids, amino acids, carbohydrates, simple proteins, glycoproteins, and phospholipids (see review by Hara 1975). Amino acids are especially attractive olfactory stimuli and may play an important role in chemical signaling (Hara 1973, Shoji et al 2003. The importance of conspecific chemical cues is underpinned by the results of the present study, as they seem to play a role in vegetated low-risk habitats as well.…”

"Research to Improve the Efficacy of Captive Broodstock Programs and Advance Hatchery Reform Throughout the Columbia River Basin." [from the Abstract], 2008-2009 Progress Report.

“…In Fall 2004, experimental groups of odorant-exposed fish were established with particular emphasis on long duration odor exposures that parallel rearing and release strategies being tested as part of the Stanley Basin Sockeye Salmon Captive Broodstock program (BPA Project # 199107200). Two populations of fish were used for these studies: 1) F1 offspring of captively-reared Okanogan River sockeye salmon Okanogan River sockeye were divided into six treatment groups (200 Fish/treatment) (see Figure 1 Amino acid odorants are being used for these studies because they have previously been used successfully as imprinting odorants (Morin et al 1989;Dittman et al 2004); the olfactory physiology of amino acid detection by salmon is well characterized (Hara 1992), and recent studies suggest that amino acids may be homing cues in natural waters (Shoji et al 2003). Arginine was chosen as the primary imprinting odorant because our previous studies demonstrated that salmon imprint successfully to this amino acid and the receptor for this odorant has been identified, thus facilitating molecular assays of imprinting (see below).…”