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Related Experiment Videos

Three-dimensional odor tracking by Nautilus pompilius.

J A Basil1, R T Hanlon, S I Sheikh

  • 1Boston University Marine Program, Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, MA 02543, USA.

The Journal of Experimental Biology
|April 6, 2000
PubMed
Summary

Nautilus pompilius uses its rhinophores to track odor plumes, demonstrating olfaction

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Area of Science:

  • Marine Biology
  • Sensory Ecology
  • Cephalopod Behavior

Background:

  • Nautilus pompilius, a 'living fossil', is hypothesized to rely on olfaction for foraging.
  • The specific olfactory organs and odor-tracking mechanisms in Nautilus remain largely uninvestigated.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To experimentally determine the role of specific organs in Nautilus pompilius's olfactory-guided foraging behavior.
  • To elucidate the mechanisms and behaviors Nautilus employs when tracking odor plumes.

Main Methods:

  • Flume experiments were conducted under dark conditions to simulate natural foraging environments.
  • The paired rhinophores of Nautilus were temporarily blocked (uni- or bilaterally) to assess their necessity for odor tracking.
  • Nautilus's ability to detect and orient towards odor sources was observed and analyzed.

Main Results:

  • Nautilus successfully detected and followed turbulent odor plumes to their source from up to 10 meters away.
  • The paired rhinophores were essential for successful orientation and source localization; blockage impaired tracking ability.
  • While tentacles could detect odor, they did not guide orientation towards distant sources.

Conclusions:

  • The paired rhinophores are critical for Nautilus pompilius's three-dimensional odor plume tracking and foraging.
  • This study provides experimental evidence for the primary role of rhinophores in Nautilus olfaction.
  • The findings suggest that bilateral chemical sensing via rhinophores may represent an ancestral sensory strategy in cephalopod evolution.

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