Abstract
Cuttlefish typically are solitary, but form aggregations to spawn. We tested the hypothesis that bioactive factors in the eggs of conspecifics may facilitate the formation of spawning groups of Sepia officinalis. Cuttlefish detected odors from cuttlefish eggs, resulting in an increased ventilation rate. Extracts from female ovaries induced the largest increase in ventilation rate, suggesting that this organ could be a potential source of the bioactive chemicals. In y-maze assays, sexually mature, but not subadult, cuttlefish, were attracted to odors of cuttlefish eggs. These data suggest that Sepia eggs could be a source of reproductive pheromones.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 834-836 |
Number of pages | 3 |
Journal | Journal of Chemical Ecology |
Volume | 36 |
Issue number | 8 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - 2010 |
Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- Chemoattraction
- Invertebrate
- Mollusk
- Reproductive behavior
- Spatial orientation
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics
- Biochemistry