Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Letter
  • Published:

Extraretinal control of vertical migration in fish larvae

Abstract

MANY species of fish, including the Atlantic herring Clupea harengus and its larvae, undergo diel vertical migrations1,2. In the herring and plaice larvae this migration has been shown to be evoked by changes in light intensity3. Under laboratory conditions they move towards the water surface at dusk and return down the water column at dawn when exposed to natural light. Moreover this vertical migration can be evoked at any time of day by reducing, then increasing, the ambient light intensity3. The control of this behaviour is shown here to be at least partly mediated through extraretinal photoreceptors in the larvae of herring and plaice, Pleuronectes platessa.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Blaxter, J. H. S., in Marine Biology, (edit. by Kinne, O.), 1, 213–320. (John Wiley London, 1970).

    Google Scholar 

  2. Seliverstov, A. S., in The Early Life History of Fish (edit. by Blaxter, J. H. S.), (Springer-Verlag, Heidelberg, 1974).

    Google Scholar 

  3. Blaxter, J. H. S., J. mar. biol. Ass. UK, 53, 635–647 (1973).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Blaxter, J. H. S., J. exp. Biol., 48, 39–53 (1968).

    Google Scholar 

  5. Jones, F. R. H., J. exp. Biol., 33, 271–281 (1956).

    Google Scholar 

  6. Erikson, L-O., Naturwissenschaften, 59, 219–220 (1972).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

WALES, W. Extraretinal control of vertical migration in fish larvae. Nature 253, 42–43 (1975). https://doi.org/10.1038/253042a0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/253042a0

This article is cited by

Comments

By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.

Search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing