Low light levels increase avoidance behaviour of diurnal fish species: Implications for road culverts

AbstractInadequately designed culverts are known to pose hydraulic barriers to fish passage, but they may also be behavioural barriers if they adversely affect light levels within them. To test this, we performed a choice experiment and quantified the amount of time individuals of four Australian fish species spent in darkened and illuminated areas of an experimental swimming fume. Behavioural responses were reflective of the species’ diel activity patterns; diurnal species preferred illuminated regions, while nocturnal species preferred the darkened region. We then determined a threshold light level of only ~100-200 lux (c.f. midday sunlight ~100,000 lux) was required to overcome the behavioural barrier in ~ 70% of the diurnal fish tested. Placing these threshold values into field context, 100% of culverts sampled recorded inadequate light levels. Attention is required to better understand the impacts of low light levels in culverts on fish passage and to prioritise restoration.

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Twilight Activities of Yellow Perch, Perca flavescens

Journal of the Fisheries Research Board of Canada ◽

10.1139/f79-027 ◽

1979 ◽

Vol 36 (2) ◽

pp. 173-179 ◽

Cited By ~ 41

Author(s):

Gene S. Helfman

Keyword(s):

New York ◽

Key Words ◽

Behavioral Ecology ◽

Yellow Perch ◽

Activity Patterns ◽

Perca Flavescens ◽

Diel Activity ◽

Light Levels ◽

Diel Activity Patterns ◽

Lower Light

Underwater observations were made on the diel activity patterns of yellow perch (Perca flavescens) in Cazenovia Lake, Madison County, New York (42°56′N, 75°52′W). Perch underwent a characteristic progression of activities during dusk at relatively predictable light levels and times. Patterns within the progression included increased swimming, last feed, group breakup, slowdown, and final stop. Activity at sunrise was the reverse of the sunset sequence except that some activities occurred at lower light levels than did the analagous activities in the evening. Differences exist in the twilight activity patterns of perch in different lakes; within a lake, both ontogenetic and subpopulation differences are also observed. These differences may be responses to ecological conditions, such as relative predation levels, or they may reflect the extreme plasticity of the species. Key words: behavioral ecology, changeover, diel, diurnal, fish, light, nocturnal, ontogeny, plasticity, temperate lake

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Comparative system identification of flower tracking performance in three hawkmoth species reveals adaptations for dim light vision

Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences ◽

10.1098/rstb.2016.0078 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 372 (1717) ◽

pp. 20160078 ◽

Cited By ~ 18

Author(s):

Anna L. Stöckl ◽

Klara Kihlström ◽

Steven Chandler ◽

Simon Sponberg

Keyword(s):

System Identification ◽

Flight Control ◽

Activity Patterns ◽

Diel Activity ◽

Visual Signal ◽

Delay Model ◽

Low Light ◽

Diel Activity Patterns ◽

Dim Light ◽

Simple Models

Flight control in insects is heavily dependent on vision. Thus, in dim light, the decreased reliability of visual signal detection also prompts consequences for insect flight. We have an emerging understanding of the neural mechanisms that different species employ to adapt the visual system to low light. However, much less explored are comparative analyses of how low light affects the flight behaviour of insect species, and the corresponding links between physiological adaptations and behaviour. We investigated whether the flower tracking behaviour of three hawkmoth species with different diel activity patterns revealed luminance-dependent adaptations, using a system identification approach. We found clear luminance-dependent differences in flower tracking in all three species, which were explained by a simple luminance-dependent delay model, which generalized across species. We discuss physiological and anatomical explanations for the variance in tracking responses, which could not be explained by such simple models. Differences between species could not be explained by the simple delay model. However, in several cases, they could be explained through the addition on a second model parameter, a simple scaling term, that captures the responsiveness of each species to flower movements. Thus, we demonstrate here that much of the variance in the luminance-dependent flower tracking responses of hawkmoths with different diel activity patterns can be captured by simple models of neural processing. This article is part of the themed issue ‘Vision in dim light’.

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Facultative nocturnal behaviour in snakes: experimental examination of why and how with Ratsnakes (Elaphe obsoleta) and Racers (Coluber constrictor)

Canadian Journal of Zoology ◽

10.1139/cjz-2013-0255 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 92 (3) ◽

pp. 229-237 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Brett A. DeGregorio ◽

Jinelle H. Sperry ◽

Daniel P. Valente ◽

Patrick J. Weatherhead

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Activity Patterns ◽

Light Level ◽

Diel Activity ◽

Elaphe Obsoleta ◽

Snake Species ◽

Thermal Constraints ◽

Diel Activity Patterns ◽

Coluber Constrictor ◽

Do So

Diel activity patterns are often fixed within species such that most animals can be classified as diurnal, crepuscular, or nocturnal, and have sensory abilities that reflect when they are active. However, many snake species appear capable of switching between diurnal and nocturnal activity. Here, we evaluate the hypothesis that some species are constrained in their activity by the sensory cues used for foraging. We experimentally assessed differences between two sympatric snake species in their ability to alter diel activity patterns, to address why those snakes that switch do so (do thermal constraints force them to be active in otherwise nonpreferred conditions?), and to explore how sensory abilities to locate prey facilitate or constrain this shift. Ratsnakes (Elaphe obsoleta (Say in James, 1823)) were active when temperature was optimal, regardless of light level, suggesting their activity pattern is genuinely plastic. Consistent with our predictions, Ratsnakes successfully detected prey in low and high light using visual or chemical cues, and were most successful when cues were coupled. Racers (Coluber constrictor L., 1758) were almost exclusively diurnal, regardless of temperature, and became less active when daytime temperatures were suboptimal. The ability of Ratsnakes to shift activity may confer a foraging advantage and should buffer Ratsnakes and similarly flexible species from climate change, whereas climate change may pose a more serious threat to inflexible species such as Racers.

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Activity patterns of wild Bactrian camels (Camelus bactrianus) in the northern piedmont of the Altun Mountains, China

Animal Biology ◽

10.1163/15707563-00002471 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 65 (3-4) ◽

pp. 209-217 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Yadong Xue ◽

Diqiang Li ◽

Wenfa Xiao ◽

Fang Liu ◽

Yuguang Zhang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Seasonal Variation ◽

Endangered Species ◽

Activity Patterns ◽

Relative Activity ◽

Diel Activity ◽

Arid Areas ◽

Critically Endangered Species ◽

Camelus Bactrianus ◽

Diel Activity Patterns ◽

Bactrian Camels

There are significant gaps in our knowledge of wild camel ecology; especially the activity patterns that allow them to adapt to desert environments. The wild Bactrian camel (Camelus bactrianus) is a critically endangered species that survives in the extreme desert conditions of Central Asia. We conducted camera trapping surveys at seven watering sites in the northern piedmont of the Altun Mountains from 2010 to 2012. We analyzed the frequency of photo-captures to elucidate the wild camels’ diel activity patterns, and the seasonal variation in their activity at watering sites. We found that these wild camels were predominantly diurnal at watering sites, with an increase in relative activity from sunrise, reaching a peak toward midday, and then gradually decreasing in activity until sunset. The camels visited watering sites more often in winter than in summer. These results provide a guide for water development in the conservation of ungulates in arid areas.

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Effects of human settlement and roads on diel activity patterns of elephants (Loxodonta africana )

African Journal of Ecology ◽

10.1111/aje.12552 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 56 (4) ◽

pp. 872-881 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Kaitlyn M. Gaynor ◽

Paola S. Branco ◽

Ryan A. Long ◽

Dominique D. Gonçalves ◽

Petter K. Granli ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Activity Patterns ◽

Loxodonta Africana ◽

Diel Activity ◽

Human Settlement ◽

Diel Activity Patterns

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Activity patterns of the small and medium felid (Mammalia: Carnivora: Felidae) guild in northeastern India

Journal of Threatened Taxa ◽

10.11609/jott.4662.11.4.13432-13447 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 11 (4) ◽

pp. 13432-13447 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Shomita Mukherjee ◽

Priya Singh ◽

André Pinto Silva ◽

Chandan Ri ◽

Kashmira Kakati ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Activity Patterns ◽

Regional Scale ◽

Diel Activity ◽

Point Scale ◽

Clouded Leopard ◽

Northeastern India ◽

Additional Information ◽

Extant Species ◽

Diel Activity Patterns ◽

Leopard Cat

Fifteen extant species of cats inhabit India, and the northeastern region of the country is among the richest with nine species. Among these are the “standard four”, an assemblage of Clouded Leopard Neofelis nebulosa, Asiatic Golden Cat Catopuma temminckii, Marbled Cat Pardofelis marmorata, and Leopard Cat Prionailurus bengalensis, which also occur across southeastern Asia. Within India, despite several surveys in this region, very little information exists on the ecology of this assemblage to explain their co-occurrence. In this paper, we put together data from several independent camera trapping studies over 10 sites across northeastern India to examine and interpret diel activity patterns of this group. While we present results for all the four species, we focus on two species, the Marbled Cat and Leopard Cat, which are of very similar body size and are potential competitors. We used kernel density estimates to measure diel activity patterns of all four species and overlap in activity between Marbled Cat and Leopard Cat at the regional scale as well as the point scale. We obtained 783 captures of the standard four from >27,500 trap nights. The Asiatic Golden Cat and Marbled Cat were strongly diurnal, Clouded Leopard largely crepuscular and nocturnal, and Leopard Cat largely nocturnal. The degree of overlap between Marbled Cat and Leopard Cat activity was low and in consensus with other studies across southeastern Asia. We interpret this as the differing niche spaces of the two cats due to their specific pre-existing adaptations, not restricted to the effects of competition. The point scale analysis when both cats are captured at the same location and separately show no shift in activity pattern, supporting our hypothesis of pre-existing differences in resources, such as food, playing a major role in facilitating co-existence. Our study, however, is preliminary and additional information with robust analysis is required to test this finding.

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Ontogeny of the diel activity patterns in relation to downstream dispersal in riverine cyprinid fishes

Journal of Fish Biology ◽

10.1111/j.1095-8649.2003.216bk.x ◽

2003 ◽

Vol 63 ◽

pp. 254-254

Author(s):

M. Ondračková ◽

E. Mazurová ◽

M. Reichard ◽

P. Jurajda

Keyword(s):

Activity Patterns ◽

Diel Activity ◽

Diel Activity Patterns ◽

Cyprinid Fishes

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Interactive effects of temperature and light on reattachment success in the brown alga Fucus radicans

Botanica Marina ◽

10.1515/bot-2018-0011 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 62 (1) ◽

pp. 43-50

Author(s):

Ellen Schagerström ◽

Tiina Salo

Keyword(s):

High Temperature ◽

Water Temperature ◽

Asexual Reproduction ◽

Net Primary Production ◽

Light Level ◽

Interactive Effects ◽

Low Light ◽

Dispersal Capacity ◽

Light Levels ◽

The Baltic

Abstract Fucus radicans is an endemic habitat-forming brown macroalga in the Baltic Sea that commonly complements its sexual reproduction with asexual reproduction. Asexual reproduction in F. radicans takes place through formation of adventitious branches (hereafter fragments), but the exact mechanisms behind it remain unknown. We assessed experimentally the importance of two environmental factors determining the re-attachment success of F. radicans fragments. By combining different light conditions (daylength and irradiance; high or low light) and water temperature (+14°C and +4°C), we mimicked ambient light and temperature conditions of winter, spring/autumn and summer for F. radicans. Fragments were able to re-attach in all tested conditions. Temperature and light had an interactive impact on re-attachment: the combination of high temperature and high light level resulted in the highest re-attachment success, while light level had no effects on re-attachment success in cooler water temperature and the re-attachment success in high temperature under low light levels was very low. The results suggest that rhizoid formation, and thus re-attachment success, may depend on the net primary production (metabolic balance) of the fragment. However, whether the re-attachment and asexual reproduction success simply depends on photosynthetic capacity warrants further mechanistic studies. Understanding the mechanisms of asexual reproduction in F. radicans is important in order to assess the dispersal capacity of this foundation species.

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Non-uniform evolutionary response of gecko eye size to changes in diel activity patterns

Biology Letters ◽

10.1098/rsbl.2018.0064 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 14 (5) ◽

pp. 20180064 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

Lars Schmitz ◽

Timothy E. Higham

Keyword(s):

Phenotypic Diversity ◽

Activity Patterns ◽

Model Fitting ◽

Regime Shifts ◽

Least Square ◽

Diel Activity ◽

Relevant Variable ◽

Eye Size ◽

Evolutionary Response ◽

Diel Activity Patterns

Geckos feature a large range of eye sizes, but what drives this phenotypic diversity is currently unknown. Earlier studies point towards diel activity patterns (DAPs) and locomotory mode, but phylogenetic comparative studies in support of the proposed adaptive mode of eye evolution are lacking. Here, we test the hypothesis of DAPs as the driver of eye size evolution with a dataset on 99 species of gecko. Results from phylogenetic generalized least-square analysis (PGLS) and multivariate model-fitting reveal smaller eyes in diurnal geckos consistent with different phenotypic optima. However, Bayesian analyses of selective regime shifts demonstrate that only two of nine transitions from nocturnal to diurnal activity are coupled with decreases in eye size, and two other regime shifts are not associated with DAP transitions. This non-uniform evolutionary response suggests that eye size is not the only functionally relevant variable. Evolutionary adaptations may therefore include different combinations of several traits (e.g. photoreceptors), all with the same functional outcome. Our results further demonstrate that DAP only partially explains eye size diversity in geckos. As open habitats favour the evolution of large eyes while obstructed habitats favour small eyes, the degree of habitat clutter emerges as another potential axis of eye diversification.

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