Meeting Abstract

51.1  Monday, Jan. 5  Simultaneous correlation of odor-plume structure and behavior: I. Three-dimensional plume structure at antennules affects speed and sensor height in tracking blue crabs PAGE, J.L.*; DICKMAN, B.D.; WEBSTER, D.R.; WEISSBURG, M.J.; Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta; Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta; Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta; Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta jennifer.page82@gmail.com

Little is known about specific aspects of plume structure that are important to facilitate ecologically important tracking behaviors, such as those involved in locating potential prey, mates or habitats. We used three-dimensional laser-induced fluorescence (3DLIF) to collect chemical concentration data simultaneously with behavior observations of actively tracking blue crabs (Callinectes sapidus) in a variety of plume types. This allows us to directly link chemical signal properties at the antennules to subsequent upstream motion. Initial data indicates that crabs in continuous plumes increase their speed to above average levels within 0.25s after receiving an odor burst at their antennules. Alternately, crabs in plumes with large-scale meander immediately decrease their speed for greater than ~1.5s following an odor burst if they were previously moving rapidly, but increase speed if they were previously moving slowly. Because meandering plumes expose animals to more intermittent signals, these observations suggest an endogenous timing mechanism that changes the state of the animal if it does not receive stimulation within a specific interval. In addition, crabs acquire chemical stimulus in a 3D volume by changing their height in response to plume concentration, standard deviation of concentration fluctuations, and intermittency of filaments. Height changes are preceded (0.25-0.5s) by periods of below average concentration that is less than 1% of the source concentration.