New electroantennography method on a marine shrimp in water

Abstract

Antennular chemoreception in aquatic decapods is well studied via the recording of single chemoreceptor neuron activity in the antennule, but global responses of the antennule (or antennae in insects) by electroantennography (EAG) has so far been mainly restricted to aerial conditions. We present here a well-established underwater EAG method to record the global antennule activity in the marine shrimp Palaemon elegans in natural (aqueous) conditions. EAG responses to food extracts, recorded as net positive deviations of the baseline, are reproducible, dose-dependent and exhibit sensory adaptation. This new EAG method opens a large field of possibilities for studying in vivo antennular chemoreception in aquatic decapods, in a global approach to supplement current, more specific techniques.

Male antennae of Armadillidium vulgare discriminate Wolbachia-infected females

“…This study is the first attempt to characterize the olfaction of terrestrial isopods through electroantennography. Few electroantennographic studies have been carried out on crustaceans with convincing results on the costal and vent-dwelling shrimps Palaemon elegans and Mirocaris fortunate [50,51], on daphniids [52], on the coconut crab Birgus latro [53] and on the hermit crab Coenobita clypeatus [54]. We recorded a positive EAG response, which is uncommon in insects but not surprising in crustaceans.…”

Comparative Study of Chemosensory Organs of Shrimp From Hydrothermal Vent and Coastal Environments

“…We recently developped an electrophysiological 510 method that allows the recording of shrimp olfactory receptor neurons (ORNs) activity 511 (Machon et al, 2016). This method will be used to conduct a comparative study of the global 512 antennule activity upon exposure to environmental stimuli, in the hydrothermal species M. Table S1.…”

Chemical cues for intraspecific chemical communication and interspecific interactions in aquatic environments: applications for fisheries and aquaculture

“…These EAG studies on terrestrial crabs used volatile molecules delivered in air. Techniques have been developed to record EAGs from the marine shrimp Palaemon elegans (Machon et al 2016), and these techniques have been used on the hydrothermal shrimp Mirocaris fortunata to show their ability to locate hydrothermal vents by tracking water-borne sulfide (Machon et al 2018). The application of electrophysiological recording from chemosensory organs for the screening of pheromone molecules has not yet been successful; however, the method used in the studies of P. elegans and M. fortunata has potential to be used for selecting chemical cues detected by antennules.…”