Virginia Institute of Marine Science, P.O. Box 1346, Gloucester Point, VA, 23062, U.S.A.; Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, The University of Michigan, 830 North University, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109-1048, U.S.A.
Conserv Biol. 2014 Feb;28(1):278-82. doi: 10.1111/cobi.12200. Epub 2013 Dec 20.
Atlantic sturgeon (Acipenser oxyrhynchus) populations have been declared either endangered or threatened under the U.S. Endangered Species Act. Effective measures to repel sturgeon from fishing gear would be beneficial to both fish and fishers because they could reduce both fishery-associated mortality and the need for seasonal and area closures of specific fisheries. Some chondrostean fishes (e.g., sturgeons and paddlefishes) can detect weak electric field gradients (possibly as low as 5 Μv/cm) due to arrays of electroreceptors (ampullae of Lorenzini) on their snout and gill covers. Weak electric fields, such as those produced by electropositive metals (typically mixtures of the lanthanide elements), could therefore potentially be used as a deterrent. To test this idea, we recorded the behavioral responses of juvenile Atlantic sturgeon (31-43 cm fork length) to electropositive metal (primarily a mixture of the lanthanide elements neodymium and praseodymium) both in the presence and absence of food stimuli. Trials were conducted in an approximately 2.5 m diameter × 0.3 m deep tank, and fish behaviors were recorded with an overhead digital video camera. Video records were subsequently digitized (x, y coordinate system), the distance between the fish and the electropositive metal calculated, and data summarized by compiling frequency distributions with 5-cm bins. Juvenile sturgeon showed clear avoidance of electropositive metal but only when food was present. On the basis of our results, we conclude that the electropositive metals, or other sources of weak electric fields, may eventually be used to reduce the interactions of Atlantic sturgeon with fishing gear, but further investigation is needed.
大西洋鲟（Acipenser oxyrhynchus）种群已根据美国濒危物种法案被宣布为濒危或受威胁物种。采取有效措施将鲟鱼从渔具中驱赶出来，将对鱼类和渔民都有利，因为这可以减少渔业相关死亡率和对特定渔业进行季节性和区域关闭的需求。一些软骨鱼类（如鲟鱼和匙吻鲟）可以由于其鼻子和鳃盖上的电感受器（罗氏壶腹）阵列来检测微弱的电场梯度（可能低至 5 Μv/cm）。因此，弱电场（例如正电性金属产生的电场）可能会被用作威慑物。为了检验这个想法，我们记录了幼年大西洋鲟（31-43 厘米叉长）对正电性金属（主要是镧系元素的混合物，如钕和镨）的行为反应，同时存在和不存在食物刺激。试验在一个直径约 2.5 米、深 0.3 米的水箱中进行，并用头顶数字摄像机记录鱼类行为。视频记录随后被数字化（x，y 坐标系），计算鱼与正电性金属之间的距离，并通过编译 5 厘米间隔的频数分布来汇总数据。幼年鲟鱼对正电性金属表现出明显的回避，但只有在有食物存在的情况下才会回避。根据我们的结果，我们得出结论，正电性金属或其他弱电场源最终可能会被用来减少大西洋鲟与渔具的相互作用，但需要进一步的研究。
