Laurien Malien, Spiecker Lisa, Luhrmann Lena, Mende Lara, Dammann Wiebke, Clemmesen Catriona, Gerlach Gabriele
Institute of Biology and Environmental Science, Carl von Ossietzky University Oldenburg, 26111 Oldenburg, Germany.
Marine Evolutionary Ecology, GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, 24105 Kiel, Germany.
J Exp Biol. 2024 Mar 1;227(5). doi: 10.1242/jeb.246188. Epub 2024 Mar 8.
Sprat (Sprattus sprattus) is one of the most commercially exploited fish species in the Baltic Sea and expresses a pronounced seasonal migration pattern. Spawning takes place, among other places, in the Kiel Bight and Kiel Fjord in early summer. Juvenile sprat leave the nursery areas in late summer/early autumn to move to their feeding and overwintering grounds. What kind of orientation mechanisms sprat use for migration is not known yet. This study shows that juvenile sprat can use a time-compensated sun compass, heading towards the northeast, in the direction of their proposed overwintering grounds in Bornholm Basin. The sprats tested at the end of August oriented themselves in the predicted direction, whereas the sprats tested at the beginning of August only showed a random orientation. For the first time, this demonstrates the onset of migratory readiness in juvenile sprat, indicating the preparation for starting their migration.
黍鲱（Sprattus sprattus）是波罗的海商业开发程度最高的鱼类之一，具有明显的季节性洄游模式。产卵地包括基尔湾和基尔峡湾等，产卵时间在初夏。幼鱼在夏末/初秋离开育幼区，前往觅食和越冬地。黍鲱在洄游过程中使用何种定向机制尚不清楚。本研究表明，幼鱼可以利用时间补偿太阳罗盘，朝着东北方向，即博恩霍尔姆盆地它们假定的越冬地的方向游动。8月底测试的黍鲱朝着预测方向定向，而8月初测试的黍鲱仅表现出随机定向。这首次证明了幼鱼开始具备洄游准备，表明它们已为开始洄游做好准备。
