Chemoreception in the sea: adaptations of chemoreceptors and behaviour to aquatic stimulus conditions

Abstract

The chemical stimulus environment is pulsed in nature. Mixtures can identify an odour source with great specificity, and (hence) most chemical signals are mixtures, even when initial research may seem to indicate that single compounds are sufficient to release complete behaviour. Information currents are often necessary to receive chemical stimuli. Receptor cell physiology reflects the microenvironment in which the receptor organ operates. Receptor cells interface with the stimulus environment in such a way as to enhance signal-to-noise ratios and to cover the naturally occurring dynamic stimulus range. Different chemoreceptor organs are designed to perform a number of different behavioural tasks. This is equally true for aquatic species that sample one (aqueous) medium as for terrestrial species that sample air and aqueous media. Hence, most of these principles are not unique to aquatic chemoreception.