Lunar orientation in sandhoppers is affected by shifting both the moon phase and the daily clock

Meschini, Enrico; Gagliardo, Anna; Papi, Floriano

doi:10.1016/j.anbehav.2007.12.011

Cited by 10 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 33 publications

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“…Incidentally, this result obtained by testing clock-shifted individuals supports two previous findings. Firstly, the chronometric components of the two compass mechanisms are independent: one for the sun and one for the moon (Ugolini et al, 1999b), in contrast with the results of Meschini and colleagues (Meschini et al, 2008). In fact, the traditional clock shifting for the sun compass chronometric mechanism (i.e.…”

Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 52%

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The skylight gradient of luminance helps sandhoppers in sun and moon identification

Ugolini

Galanti

Mercatelli

2012

Journal of Experimental Biology

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SUMMARYTo return to the ecologically optimal zone of the beach, the sandhopper Talitrus saltator (Montagu) maintains a constant sea-land direction based on the sun and moon compasses. In this study, we investigated the role of the skylight gradient of luminance in sun and moon identification under natural and artificial conditions of illumination. Clock-shifted (inverted) sandhoppers tested under the sun (during their subjective night) and under the full moon (during their subjective day) exhibit orientation in accordance with correct identification of the sun and the moon at night. Tested in artificial conditions of illumination at night without the artificial gradient of luminance, the artificial astronomical cue is identified as the moon even when the conditions of illumination allow sun compass orientation during the day. When the artificial gradient of luminance is added, the artificial astronomical cue is identified as the sun. The role of the sky gradient of luminance in sun and moon identification is discussed on the basis of present and past findings.

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Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 52%

“…It has long been known Pardi and Papi, 1953) that both the sun and the moon compasses are used by sandhoppers, like Talitrus saltator (Montagu), and the relationships between compass systems of orientation have been investigated (Ugolini et al, 1999b;Ugolini, 2003;Meschini et al, 2008). As pointed out previously (e.g.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The skylight gradient of luminance helps sandhoppers in sun and moon identification

Ugolini

Galanti

Mercatelli

2012

Journal of Experimental Biology

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“…To use celestial cues as a compass, animals must account for the cues' movements across the sky, for which they use their innate circadian and other physiological rhythms (Wiltschko and Wiltschko, 2003;von Frisch, 1967;Reppert et al, 2010;Ugolini et al, 2007;Meschini et al, 2008). Other cues can provide compasslike directional information more locally, for example the skyline panorama (Graham and Cheng, 2009a;Reid et al, 2011;Philippides et al, 2011), large-scale features of the landscape (Southwick and Buchmann, 1995;Pahl et al, 2011) and the wind (Müller and Wehner, 2007).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The depth of the honeybee's backup sun-compass systems

Dovey

Kemfort

Towne

2013

Journal of Experimental Biology

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SUMMARYHoneybees have at least three compass mechanisms: a magnetic compass; a celestial or sun compass, based on the daily rotation of the sun and sun-linked skylight patterns; and a backup celestial compass based on a memory of the sunʼs movements over time in relation to the landscape. The interactions of these compass systems have yet to be fully elucidated, but the celestial compass is primary in most contexts, the magnetic compass is a backup in certain contexts, and the beesʼ memory of the sunʼs course in relation to the landscape is a backup system for cloudy days. Here we ask whether bees have any further compass systems, for example a memory of the sunʼs movements over time in relation to the magnetic field. To test this, we challenged bees to locate the sun when their known celestial compass systems were unavailable, that is, under overcast skies in unfamiliar landscapes. We measured the beesʼ knowledge of the sunʼs location by observing their waggle dances, by which foragers indicate the directions toward food sources in relation to the sunʼs compass bearing. We found that bees have no celestial compass systems beyond those already known: under overcast skies in unfamiliar landscapes, bees attempt to use their landscape-based backup system to locate the sun, matching the landscapes or skylines at the test sites with those at their natal sites as best they can, even if the matches are poor and yield weak or inconsistent orientation. Supplementary material available online at

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“…At night, searching movements represent a minor risk, due to the lower probability of dehydration and prédation; in any case, the moon may be available for orientation most nights Ugolini et al, 2003). The question is still open whether sun and moon orientation rely on one, two or even three clocks (Meschini et al, 2008). Scapini (1997Scapini ( , 2006 interpreted the differences in sandhoppers' and beach-hoppers' orientation observed by different research groups as adaptations to different environmental features.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Monitoring changes in sandy beaches in temperate areas through sandhoppers’ adaptations

Scapini

Fanini

Gambineri

et al. 2013

Crustac

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Sandhoppers (Amphipoda, Talitridae) are keystone species of sandy beach ecosystems in temperate areas. Several traits have been studied and proposed as bioindicators of impacts on sandy beaches, at individual (physiology and behaviour), population (life cycle, abundance, population dynamics and structure, morphometry and fluctuating asymmetry) and species (genetic structure and variation) levels. Sandy beaches, where these species spend their whole life cycle, are dynamic environments, subject to periodic changes (night-day, tides and seasons), as well as to impacts that may cause erosion or accretion of the littoral zone. The first response of an animal to potentiaUy injuring factors is shown by its avoidance behaviour regarding the potential stress. This behaviour may be a rapid escape reaction, shown by single individuals, the whole or part of the population. Activity rhythms, changes in zonation, burrowing, escape reactions, orientation towards the optimal zone on the beach, are all adaptations to environmental changes, increasing the survival chances of the individuals and populations that express such behaviours. In this paper we present case studies of the talitrid species' behavioural adaptations related to natural and human impacts on sandy beaches in the Mediterranean: (1) erosion/accretion dynamics of a Tyrrhenian beach in central Italy (Maremma Regional Park), and (2) increasing urbanisation on a beach in north-western Morocco (Oued Laou river mouth). The best behavioural adaptation was shown by the populations from more stable coastlines. For the survival value of rapid and possibly anticipatory responses to stressful factors, behavioural variation may be proposed as an early-warning indicator of environmental changes. The adaptation at higher levels (population and species) may reflect, on the one hand, the evolvability of the species and, on the other hand, the changeability of the environment. Adaptations at population level may be used as bioindicators of past changes over generations and evolutionary times.Key words. -Amphipoda, Talitridae, sandy beaches, behavioural adaptation, environmental changes, indicators of impacts RIASSUNTO Le pulci di mare (Talitridae) sono specie chiave degli ecosistemi delle spiagge di aree temperate. Svariati caratteri sono stati proposa come bioindicatori di impatto, a Mvello MONITORING SANDY BEACH CONDITIONS THROUGH SANDHOPPERS 933 fisiologici e comportamentali), di popolazione (ciclo vitale, abbondanza, dinámica e struttura di popolazione, morfometria e asimmetria fluttuante) e di specie (struttura e variabilità genética). Le spiagge, in cui queste specie vivono, sono ambienti dinamici, soggetti a variazioni periodiche (alternanza del giomo e deUa notte, cicli di marea e stagionali) nonché ad impatti che possono causare erosione o accrescimento della zona litorale. Le prime risposte di un animale a fattori potenzialmente negativi sono di tipo comportamentale. Le risposte possono essere rapide reazioni di fuga e possono venire espresse da singoli individui oppure ...

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Lunar orientation in sandhoppers is affected by shifting both the moon phase and the daily clock

Cited by 10 publications

References 33 publications

The skylight gradient of luminance helps sandhoppers in sun and moon identification

The skylight gradient of luminance helps sandhoppers in sun and moon identification

The depth of the honeybee's backup sun-compass systems

Monitoring changes in sandy beaches in temperate areas through sandhoppers’ adaptations

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