Comparative study of the rheotaxis in the cave salamander Proteus anguinus and his epigean relative Necturus maculosus (Proteidae, Urodela)

J P Durand; J Parzefall

doi:10.1016/0376-6357(87)90013-1

Comparative study of the rheotaxis in the cave salamander Proteus anguinus and his epigean relative Necturus maculosus (Proteidae, Urodela)

Behav Processes. 1987 Dec;15(2-3):285-91. doi: 10.1016/0376-6357(87)90013-1.

Authors

J P Durand¹, J Parzefall

Affiliation

¹ Laboratoire souterrain du CNRS Moulis et Unité 86 INSERM Ophtalmologie, Paris, France.

PMID: 24925659
DOI: 10.1016/0376-6357(87)90013-1

Abstract

The reaction to different water currents of the cave salamander Proteus anguinus and his epigean relative Necturus maculosus has been tested in a choice chamber. Both species showed a positive reaction which started in P. anguinus with a current of 35 cm/min and in N. maculosus 60 cm/min. These thresholds are within the range measured for different species of fish in the absence of visual stimuli. In addition, the rheotactic behaviour is less steady in N. maculosus . It seems that the differences found are not sufficient to be explained by adaptation to cave life.