A releaser pheromone that attracts methyltestosterone- treated immature fish in the urine of ovulated female rainbow trout

SUMMARY: Behavioral experiments concerning a releaser pheromone in the urine of female rainbow trout were performed using immature fish administered orally with 17α-methyltestosterone (MT) during the non-spawning season. The urine was collected by catheter. The frequency of entries of test fish was recorded in each channel scented by test and control solutions in a Y-maze trough. The behavior of both MT-treated and control fish demonstrated that they could not discriminate the differences between distilled and environmental water as control solutions. There was also no difference between MT-treated and control fish when distilled and environmental water were introduced. The MT-treated immature fish were attracted to the channel scented by ovulated female urine. Neither coelomic fluid nor the immature female urine had any effect on the behavioral responses of MT-treated fish, while immature control fish had no preference for the urine of ovulated females. These results suggest in rainbow trout that ovulated female urine contains a releaser pheromone to attract mature males, and that androgens are involved in the sensory mechanisms detecting the releaser pheromone in fish.     

季节对山羊反刍行为的影响

对１６只中卫山羊母羊的青草期和枯草期反刍行为进行观察表明，山羊在青草期，每天（２４ｈｒｓ）有１０个反刍周期，反刍持续总时间为３０４．２分，共反刍４２５．３次，每个食丸在口腔中咀嚼４３．０秒，共咀嚼４６．４次，在枯草期上述指标分别为１１个，４２０．０分，４７２．０次，５３．４秒和５９．６次，季节对山羊反刍行为的影响，本质上决定于羊采食牧草的品质和数量，优质牧草（青草期）能够缩短反刍持续总时间（Ｐ〉０     

Role of free neuromasts in larval feeding of willow shiner Gnathopogon elongatus caerulescens Teleostei, Cyprinidae

ABSTRACT:   It has been reported that the larvae of willow shiner Gnathopogon elongatus caerulescens have many free neuromasts on their body surface. This study examined the ability of the willow shiner larvae to feed on zooplankton by mechanoreception by the free neuromasts. Feeding experiments using untreated larvae and larvae treated with streptomycin, which impairs free neuromast function, were conducted under light and completely dark conditions. The larvae were put into Petri dishes, then nauplii of Artemia salina were introduced. The average number of Artemia eaten by the larvae was expressed as the average ingestion rate of Artemia /10 min. The ingestion rate of Artemia for untreated larvae was 12.3 under light conditions and 10.6 Artemia /10 min. even in complete darkness. The ingestion rate in the larvae treated with streptomycin was 11 under light conditions and only 0.8 Artemia /10 min under dark conditions. The low rate in the treated larvae under dark conditions must be due to impairment by the streptomycin. Therefore, the high ingestion rate for the untreated larvae under dark conditions would be surely dependent on mechanoreception. The results indicate that larval willow shiner is able to feed on zooplankton under limited light conditions.