Meeting Abstract

P3.15  Sunday, Jan. 6  Establishing Antennule Flick Rate as an Assay for Odor Detection in Lobsters CLEMENTS, R*; RYCROFT, N; ATEMA, J; Boston University; Boston University; Boston University reenac@bu.edu

Olfactory cues are important sources of information for marine organisms. The major odor detection organ for lobsters are the antennules. Aesthetasc sensilla on these antennules process social odor information. In order to function properly, the lobster flicks its antennules. Thus flicking, the lobster equivalent of sniffing, can be used as a measurement of odor detection by the animal. To measure flick rate lobsters were placed in a flume and exposed to a small stream of food odor-flavored seawater directed at the antennules; we use unscented seawater as a control. All tests were video recorded for later analysis. Flicking frequency increased in response to increasing concentrations of food odor. However, we are interested here in the lobster’s detection of social odors. Male lobsters fight to establish dominance and losing males are capable of remembering the urine odor of the winner for over a week. We are currently testing if antennule flick responses can be used as an assay to recognize social odors in a number of different relationships, including dominance.