A stimulus paradigm for analysis of near-field hydrodynamic sensitivity in crustaceans

Abstract
We present several relatively simple procedures for studying the physiology of near-field mechanoreceptors in crustaceans which extend previous measures of sensitivity. The advantages include the quantitative analysis of range fractionation and directionality of receptors and interneurons in the sensory hierarchy of the central nervous system (CNS), based on a stimulus paradigm that is reproducible and easy to use. The technical considerations for quantitative fluid-coupled stimulation addressed by this paper are the complexity of dipole flow fields, reflected interference from traveling waves, and the underlying stimulus wave form. The techniques described here offer corresponding advantages for physiological experiments using other aquatic organisms.

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