Influence of the concentration of oxygen on the swimming path of Brachionus plicatilis (Rotifera) |
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Authors: | Réale Denis Clément Pierre Esparcia-Collado Angeles |
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Affiliation: | (1) LTCC: Laboratoire Trajets, Comportements et Connaissances, Université Lyon 1, France;(2) Area de Ecologia, Universitat de Valencia, Espana |
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Abstract: | Brachionus plicatilis females were maintained for > 24 hours in water where the concentration of oxygen was precisely controlled (spherical flasks with 6 mg l–1 or < 0.5 mg l–1; food = dead Tetraselmis sp.). Each female was randomly taken from one flask and quickly placed in an observation chamber containing the same experimental conditions. The swimming path was videotaped (5 minutes); then the size of the female was measured. The tape was analyzed by automatic tracking (25 x,y coordinates of the center of the animal, in a 512 × 512 pixels space). The swimming path was analyzed for 45 females in both treatments. The speed (mm s–1 body length–1) was calculated for all trajectories, or only for those segments where females swam in a horizontal plane. This relative speed significantly decreased when the concentration of oxygen was very low. There was a negative correlation between the linear speed and the angular speed. The spatial sinuosity (S of Bovet & Benhamou, 1988) was calculated. The trajectories were significantly more sinuous when the concentration of oxygen was very low. These results could explain the accumulation of some rotifers in the oxycline; rotifers may spend more time in very low concentrations of oxygen by slowing and by turning more. |
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Keywords: | rotifers Brachionus plicatilis behaviour kinesis swimming automatic tracking oxygen |
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