The orientation of the sandhopper Talitrus saltator during a partial solar eclipse

Year: 2004

Authors: Ugolini A., Castellini C., Tiribilli B.

Autors Affiliation: Dipartimento di Biologia Animale e Genetica, Università di Firenze, Via Romana 17, 50125 Firenze, Italy;
Istituto Nazionale di Ottica Applicata, Largo E. Fermi 6, 50125 Firenze, Italy

Abstract: To acquire more information about the identification and use of the sun and other celestial cues in the sea-land orientation of the sandhopper Talitrus saltator, we carried out releases in a confined environment during a partial solar eclipse and at sunset. The sandhoppers were unable to identify the sun (86% covered) during the eclipse nor to use other celestial compass factors of orientation. This was probably due to the low level of light intensity (close to the minimum level for orientation recorded at sunset) and to the variations in intensity and pattern of skylight polarization.

Journal/Review: JOURNAL OF COMPARATIVE PHYSIOLOGY A-NEUROETHOLOGY SENSORY NEURAL AND BEHAVIORAL PHYSIOLOGY

Volume: 190 (10)      Pages from: 855  to: 859

More Information: Acknowledgements We wish to thank Mr. P. Neri (Intercast Europe s.p.a, Parma, Italy) for kindly sending us the CR39 filter. This research was financially supported by local funds of the University of Firenze assigned to A. Ugolini.
KeyWords: celestial orientation; solar eclipse; solar orientation; sunset orientation; Talitrus saltator
DOI: 10.1007/s00359-004-0535-2

Citations: 12
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