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Absence of a tidal component in the diel pattern of locomotory activity of sea catfish,Arius felis

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Synopsis

Sea catfish, tested individually for 3-day periods in an automated data acquisition system, displayed a nocturnal pattern of locomotor activity with 62% of the activity occurring during scotophase. In addition, there were two relative maxima of activity at 0700–0900 and 1300–1500 C.S.T. This diel pattern of activity could not be correlated with tidal phenomena in the fish's natural environment and is virtually identical to that exhibited by several freshwater catfish species. Thus, even though sea catfish are a primarily estuarine fish and subject to daily tidal fluctuations, tidal rhythmicity is apparently not used as a cue for diel activity patterns.

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  1. Department of Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843, U.S.A.

    Craig W. Steele

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  1. Craig W. Steele
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Steele, C.W. Absence of a tidal component in the diel pattern of locomotory activity of sea catfish,Arius felis . Environ Biol Fish 12, 69–73 (1985). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00007712

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00007712

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