Magnetic Compass Orientation in the European Eel

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dc.contributor.authorDurif, Caroline M. F.en
dc.contributor.authorBrowman, Howard I.en
dc.contributor.authorPhillips, John B.en
dc.contributor.authorSkiftesvik, Anne Beriten
dc.contributor.authorVollestad, L, Asbjomen
dc.contributor.authorStockhausen, Hans H.en
dc.contributor.departmentBiological Sciencesen
dc.date.accessioned2017-02-20T00:49:47Zen
dc.date.available2017-02-20T00:49:47Zen
dc.date.issued2013-03-15en
dc.description.abstractEuropean eel migrate from freshwater or coastal habitats throughout Europe to their spawning grounds in the Sargasso Sea. However, their route (, 6000 km) and orientation mechanisms are unknown. Several attempts have been made to prove the existence of magnetoreception in Anguilla sp., but none of these studies have demonstrated magnetic compass orientation in earth-strength magnetic field intensities. We tested eels in four altered magnetic field conditions where magnetic North was set at geographic North, South, East, or West. Eels oriented in a manner that was related to the tank in which they were housed before the test. At lower temperature (under 12uC), their orientation relative to magnetic North corresponded to the direction of their displacement from the holding tank. At higher temperatures (12–17uC), eels showed bimodal orientation along an axis perpendicular to the axis of their displacement. These temperature-related shifts in orientation may be linked to the changes in behavior that occur between the warm season (during which eels are foraging) and the colder fall and winter (during which eels undertake their migrations). These observations support the conclusion that 1. eels have a magnetic compass, and 2. they use this sense to orient in a direction that they have registered moments before they are displaced. The adaptive advantage of having a magnetic compass and learning the direction in which they have been displaced becomes clear when set in the context of the eel’s seaward migration. For example, if their migration is halted or blocked, as it is the case when environmental conditions become unfavorable or when they encounter a barrier, eels would be able to resume their movements along their old bearing when conditions become favorable again or when they pass by the barrier.en
dc.description.versionPublished versionen
dc.format.extent? - ? (7) page(s)en
dc.identifier.doihttps://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0059212en
dc.identifier.issn1932-6203en
dc.identifier.issue3en
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10919/75070en
dc.identifier.volume8en
dc.languageEnglishen
dc.publisherPLOSen
dc.relation.urihttp://gateway.webofknowledge.com/gateway/Gateway.cgi?GWVersion=2&SrcApp=PARTNER_APP&SrcAuth=LinksAMR&KeyUT=WOS:000316409800070&DestLinkType=FullRecord&DestApp=ALL_WOS&UsrCustomerID=930d57c9ac61a043676db62af60056c1en
dc.rightsCreative Commons Attribution 4.0 Internationalen
dc.rights.urihttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/en
dc.subjectred-spotted newten
dc.subjectanguilla-anguillaen
dc.subjectsilver eelsen
dc.subjectenvironmental-factorsen
dc.subjectamerican eelsen
dc.subjectnotophthalmus-viridescensen
dc.subjectspawning migrationen
dc.subjectrostrataen
dc.subjectfieldsen
dc.subjectjaponicaen
dc.titleMagnetic Compass Orientation in the European Eelen
dc.title.serialPLOS ONEen
dc.typeArticle - Refereeden
pubs.organisational-group/Virginia Techen
pubs.organisational-group/Virginia Tech/All T&R Facultyen
pubs.organisational-group/Virginia Tech/Scienceen
pubs.organisational-group/Virginia Tech/Science/Biological Sciencesen
pubs.organisational-group/Virginia Tech/Science/COS T&R Facultyen

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