Pulse trawling: Evaluating its impact on prey detection by small-spotted catshark (Scyliorhinus canicula)

Desender, Marieke; Kajiura, Stephen M.; Ampe, Bart; Dumolein, Lisa; Polet, Hans; Chiers, Koen; Decostere, Annemie

doi:10.1016/j.jembe.2016.10.026

Cited by 17 publications

(21 citation statements)

References 41 publications

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“…Chondrichthyans that escape these trawlers might experience a temporary or permanent effect to the function of their electroreceptor system. However, pulsed DC electrical stimuli mimicking those used by commercial electrofishing trawlers was not shown to impair the electrosensory capabilities of S. canicula to prey‐simulating electric fields (Desender et al, ). Repeated exposures to potentially unpleasant stimuli over time may lead to a cumulative effect, such as a reduced physiological response of electroreceptors to bioelectric stimuli or behavioural changes in some species.…”

Section: Behaviourmentioning

confidence: 97%

“…They can be locally introduced to intentionally repel electroreceptive species as seen in studies that use magnets or high intensity electrical fields on anti-shark nets (O'Connell et al, 2011a(O'Connell et al, , 2014a. Electromagnetic fields (EMFs), can be emitted over large spatiotemporal scales by electric trawl fishing (Desender et al, 2017), subsea high-voltage cable networks, transoceanic marine vessels, mineral prospecting and metallic infrastructure, such as railways and bridges . The global increase in subsea electrical cable deployment from marine renewable energy installations and the expansion of communication cable networks has raised interest in whether electroreceptive marine fishes will be affected by the associated EMFs (Gill et al 2012Taormina et al, 2018).…”

Section: The Potential Influence Of Anthropogenic Electric and Magnmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Electroreception in marine fishes: chondrichthyans

Newton

Gill

Kajiura

2019

Journal of Fish Biology

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Electroreception in marine fishes occurs across a variety of taxa and is best understood in the chondrichthyans (sharks, skates, rays, and chimaeras). Here, we present an up‐to‐date review of what is known about the biology of passive electroreception and we consider how electroreceptive fishes might respond to electric and magnetic stimuli in a changing marine environment. We briefly describe the history and discovery of electroreception in marine Chondrichthyes, the current understanding of the passive mode, the morphological adaptations of receptors across phylogeny and habitat, the physiological function of the peripheral and central nervous system components, and the behaviours mediated by electroreception. Additionally, whole genome sequencing, genetic screening and molecular studies promise to yield new insights into the evolution, distribution, and function of electroreceptors across different environments. This review complements that of electroreception in freshwater fishes in this special issue, which provides a comprehensive state of knowledge regarding the evolution of electroreception. We conclude that despite our improved understanding of passive electroreception, several outstanding gaps remain which limits our full comprehension of this sensory modality. Of particular concern is how electroreceptive fishes will respond and adapt to a marine environment that is being increasingly altered by anthropogenic electric and magnetic fields.

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Section: Behaviourmentioning

confidence: 97%

Section: The Potential Influence Of Anthropogenic Electric and Magnmentioning

confidence: 99%

Electroreception in marine fishes: chondrichthyans

Newton

Gill

Kajiura

2019

Journal of Fish Biology

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“…Previously, in short-term studies under laboratory conditions, the electric fields used in the shrimp pulse fishery seemed to have a limited impact on exposed adults of targeted or bycaught organisms (Polet et al 2005a;Soetaert et al 2014;Desender et al 2016Desender et al , 2017. Still, the potential impact on young life stages is a growing concern that has not been addressed.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Impact of Pulsed Direct Current on Embryos, Larvae, and Young Juveniles of Atlantic Cod and its Implications for Electrotrawling of Brown Shrimp

et al. 2017

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The application of electrical pulses in fishing gear is considered a promising option to increase the sustainability of demersal trawl fisheries. In the electrotrawl fishery for brown shrimp Crangon crangon, an electrical field selectively induces a startle response in the shrimp. Other benthic organisms remain mainly on the seafloor and escape underneath a hovering trawl. Previous experiments have indicated that this pulse has no short‐term major harmful effects on adult fish and invertebrates. However, the impact on young marine life stages is still unknown. Because brown shrimp are caught in shallow coastal zones and estuaries, which serve as important nurseries or spawning areas for a wide range of marine species, electrotrawling on these grounds could harm embryos, larvae, and juveniles. We carried out experiments with different developmental stages of Atlantic Cod Gadus morhua, which are considered vulnerable to electrical pulses. Three embryonic stages, four larval stages, and one juvenile stage of Atlantic Cod were exposed to a homogeneous electrical field of 150 Vpeak/m for 5 s, mimicking a worst‐case scenario. We detected no significant differences in embryo mortality rate between control and exposed groups. However, for the embryonic stage exposed at 18 d postfertilization, the initial hatching rate was lower. Larvae that were exposed at 2 and 26 d posthatch exhibited higher mortality rates than the corresponding nonexposed control groups. In the other larval and juvenile stages, no short‐term impact of exposure on survival was observed. Morphometric analysis of larvae and juveniles revealed no differences in measurements or deformations of the yolk, notochord, eye, or head. Although exposure to a worst‐case electrical field did not impact survival or development for six of the eight young life stages of Atlantic Cod, the observed delayed hatching rate and decreased survival for larvae might indicate an impact of electric pulses and warrant further research.

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“…In the 2 nd study, Desender et al (2017) studied the role of pulsed direct current (PDC) used in pulse trawls on the electro-detection ability. The electro-response of the sharks to an artificially created prey-simulating electrical field was tested before and after exposure to the pulsed electrical field used to catch flatfish and shrimp.…”

Section: Behaviourmentioning

confidence: 99%