Sunday #Plankton Factoid 🦠🦐
#Zooplankton have amazing abilities to sense their environment. The setae on long extended antennae have mechanoreceptors & chemosensors (aesthetascs). #Copepods can smell and track a pheromone plume of many body lengths, or detect particular prey items. Very sophisticated behavior for this ecologically important uncharismatic microfauna.
This is an excellent review article on the chemical ecology of copepods. Highly recommended read. 📖
https://academic.oup.com/plankt/article/36/4/895/2963073
#Zooplankton have amazing abilities to sense their environment. The setae on long extended antennae have mechanoreceptors & chemosensors (aesthetascs). #Copepods can smell and track a pheromone plume of many body lengths, or detect particular prey items. Very sophisticated behavior for this ecologically important uncharismatic microfauna.
This is an excellent review article on the chemical ecology of copepods. Highly recommended read. 📖
https://academic.oup.com/plankt/article/36/4/895/2963073
The chemical ecology of copepods
An increasing number of studies show the importance of chemical interactions in the aquatic environment. Our understanding of the role of chemical cues and signHeuschele, Jan (Oxford University Press)