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The Development of Startle Responses in Herring Larvae

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 May 2009

J. H. S. Blaxter
Affiliation:
Scottish Marine Biological Association, Dunstaffhage Marine Research Laboratory, P.O. Box 3, Oban, Argyll PA34 4AD
R. S. Batty
Affiliation:
Scottish Marine Biological Association, Dunstaffhage Marine Research Laboratory, P.O. Box 3, Oban, Argyll PA34 4AD

Extract

In common with many teleosts, herring show marked ‘fast startle’ responses when subjected to sound stimuli from a vibrating source (Blaxter, Gray & Denton, 1981). These comprise a sharp C-shaped contortion of the body; the fish respond to transients of as little as half a cycle of sound with a latency of about 25 ms and the turn is usually away from the sound source. There is good evidence that the Mauthner cells are implicated in other species (see Eaton & Hackett, 1984) but this has not been established in the herring, although they are known to be present.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 1985

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References

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