The Role of Flow and the Lateral Line in the Multisensory Guidance of Orienting Behaviors

Coombs, Sheryl; Montgomery, John C.

doi:10.1007/978-3-642-41446-6_3

Cited by 16 publications

(13 citation statements)

References 130 publications

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“…Finally, mechanisms should incorporate what is known about sensory and motor pathways in the CNS and the multisensory integration and processing sites in the brain for orchestrating orienting behaviors (Fig. 4; Coombs and Montgomery, 2014). The orienting behavior may be open loop (see Glossary), as is likely the case for threshold orienting responses of benthic fish at low current speeds, or closed loop (see Glossary), as is the case when rheotaxis is associated with other types of station-holding behaviors (e.g.…”

Section: Orienting Mechanisms and Central Controlmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Rheotaxis revisited: a multi-behavioral and multisensory perspective on how fish orient to flow

Coombs

Bak-Coleman

Montgomery

2020

Journal of Experimental Biology

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Here, we review fish rheotaxis (orientation to flow) with the goal of placing it within a larger behavioral and multisensory context. Rheotaxis is a flexible behavior that is used by fish in a variety of circumstances: to search for upstream sources of current-borne odors, to intercept invertebrate drift and, in general, to conserve energy while preventing downstream displacement. Sensory information available for rheotaxis includes water-motion cues to the lateral line and body-motion cues to visual, vestibular or tactile senses when fish are swept downstream. Although rheotaxis can be mediated by a single sense, each sense has its own limitations. For example, lateral line cues are limited by the spatial characteristics of flow, visual cues by water visibility, and vestibular and other body-motion cues by the ability of fish to withstand downstream displacement. The ability of multiple senses to compensate for any single-sense limitation enables rheotaxis to persist over a wide range of sensory and flow conditions. Here, we propose a mechanism of rheotaxis that can be activated in parallel by one or more senses; a major component of this mechanism is directional selectivity of central neurons to broad patterns of water and/or body motions. A review of central mechanisms for vertebrate orienting behaviors and optomotor reflexes reveals several motorsensory integration sites in the CNS that could be involved in rheotaxis. As such, rheotaxis provides an excellent opportunity for understanding the multisensory control of a simple vertebrate behavior and how a simple motor act is integrated with others to form complex behaviors.

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Section: Orienting Mechanisms and Central Controlmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In principle, fish could use directionally selective WFI neurons for rheotaxis (Coombs and Montgomery, 2014), and there is evidence that peripheral and/or central neurons across the senses have the requisite response propertiesi.e. directional selectivity and integration of sensory inputs over a wide spatial extent.…”

Section: Box 2 Threshold-modulating Factorsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Rheotaxis revisited: a multi-behavioral and multisensory perspective on how fish orient to flow

Coombs

Bak-Coleman

Montgomery

2020

Journal of Experimental Biology

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“…It detects water flows within a few body lengths and mediates a range of critical behaviors, including prey detection (reviewed in Coombs and Montgomery, 2014;Montgomery et al, 2014). The role of the lateral line system in predator-prey interactions has been established in the laboratory using hydrodynamic stimuli generated by live prey, such as the movements of free-swimming prey or the filter-feeding or respiratory currents produced by sessile or benthic invertebrate prey (e.g.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Detection of artificial water flows by the lateral line system of a benthic feeding cichlid fish

Schwalbe

Sevey

Webb

2016

Journal of Experimental Biology

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The mechanosensory lateral line system of fishes detects water motions within a few body lengths of the source. Several types of artificial stimuli have been used to probe lateral line function in the laboratory, but few studies have investigated the role of flow sensing in benthic feeding teleosts. In this study, we used artificial flows emerging from a sandy substrate to assess the contribution of flow sensing to prey detection in the peacock cichlid, Aulonocara stuartgranti, which feeds on benthic invertebrates in Lake Malawi. Using a positive reinforcement protocol, we trained fish to respond to flows lacking the visual and chemical cues generated by tethered prey in prior studies with A. stuartgranti. Fish successfully responded to artificial flows at all five rates presented (characterized using digital particle image velocimetry), and showed a range of flow-sensing behaviors, including an unconditioned bite response. Immediately after lateral line inactivation, fish rarely responded to flows and the loss of vital fluorescent staining of hair cells (with 4-di-2-ASP) verified lateral line inactivation. Within 2 days post-treatment, some aspects of flow-sensing behavior returned and after 7 days, flow-sensing behavior and hair cell fluorescence both returned to pre-treatment levels, which is consistent with the reported timing of hair cell regeneration in other vertebrates. The presentation of ecologically relevant water flows to assess flow-sensing behaviors and the use of a positive reinforcement protocol are methods that present new opportunities to study the role of flow sensing in the feeding ecology of benthic feeding fishes.

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“…The lateral‐line systems in different fish species are adapted to specific hydrodynamic signals provided in distinct behavioural contexts or environments (Coombs & Montgomery, ; Webb et al ., ). The most clear‐cut example of sensory adaptation to a specific type of hydrodynamic stimulus is the peripheral lateral‐line system of surface‐feeding fishes.…”

Section: Adaptations Of the Lateral‐line System For The Detection Of mentioning

confidence: 99%

Sensory ecology of the fish lateral‐line system: Morphological and physiological adaptations for the perception of hydrodynamic stimuli

Mogdans

2019

Journal of Fish Biology

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Fishes are able to detect and perceive the hydrodynamic and physical environment they inhabit and process this sensory information to guide the resultant behaviour through their mechanosensory lateral‐line system. This sensory system consists of up to several thousand neuromasts distributed across the entire body of the animal. Using the lateral‐line system, fishes perceive water movements of both biotic and abiotic origin. The anatomy of the lateral‐line system varies greatly between and within species. It is still a matter of debate as to how different lateral‐line anatomies reflect adaptations to the hydrodynamic conditions to which fishes are exposed. While there are many accounts of lateral‐line system adaptations for the detection of hydrodynamic signals in distinct behavioural contexts and environments for specific fish species, there is only limited knowledge on how the environment influences intra and interspecific variations in lateral‐line morphology. Fishes live in a wide range of habitats with highly diverse hydrodynamic conditions, from pools and lakes and slowly moving deep‐sea currents to turbulent and fast running rivers and rough coastal surf regions. Perhaps surprisingly, detailed characterisations of the hydrodynamic properties of natural water bodies are rare. In particular, little is known about the spatio‐temporal patterns of the small‐scale water motions that are most relevant for many fish behaviours, making it difficult to relate environmental stimuli to sensory system morphology and function. Humans use bodies of water extensively for recreational, industrial and domestic purposes and in doing so often alter the aquatic environment, such as through the release of toxicants, the blocking of rivers by dams and acoustic noise emerging from boats and construction sites. Although the effects of anthropogenic interferences are often not well understood or quantified, it seems obvious that they change not only water quality and appearance but also, they alter hydrodynamic conditions and thus the types of hydrodynamic stimuli acting on fishes. To date, little is known about how anthropogenic influences on the aquatic environment affect the morphology and function of sensory systems in general and the lateral‐line system in particular. This review starts out by briefly describing naturally occurring hydrodynamic stimuli and the morphology and neurobiology of the fish lateral‐line system. In the main part, adaptations of the fish lateral‐line system for the detection and analysis of water movements during various behaviours are presented. Finally, anthropogenic influences on the aquatic environment and potential effects on the fish lateral‐line system are discussed.

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The Role of Flow and the Lateral Line in the Multisensory Guidance of Orienting Behaviors

Cited by 16 publications

References 130 publications

Rheotaxis revisited: a multi-behavioral and multisensory perspective on how fish orient to flow

Rheotaxis revisited: a multi-behavioral and multisensory perspective on how fish orient to flow

Detection of artificial water flows by the lateral line system of a benthic feeding cichlid fish

Sensory ecology of the fish lateral‐line system: Morphological and physiological adaptations for the perception of hydrodynamic stimuli

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