Learning of escape direction inIdotea baltica

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Experiments on solar orientation have been carried out on adult and laboratory born individuals of the marine isopod Idotea baltica. A plexiglass bowl, with the landscape screened from view, was used for the releases (individual and group). In the majority of releases there is a bimodal tendency in the orientation along the y axis. Results demonstrate that the capacity to assume an ecologically efficient direction is not determined genetically and is liable to weaken after the animals are kept for approximately a week in the laboratory. Once Idotea baltica has learned the Y axis escape direction, it can rapidly modify it if any changes occur in the orientation of the sea‐land axis.