Conference Paper
Ten years of cavefish field studies: what have we learned?
Retaux, S., Attia, J., Blin, M., Casane, D., Espinasa, L., Hyacinthe, C., Imarazene, B., Leclercq, J., Legendre, L., Père, S., Pierre, C., Policarpo, M., Torres-Paz, J., and Simon, V.
Record Number:
5621
Year:
2022
Journal:
AIM 2022
Pages:
27
Abstract:
The goal of cavefish evolutionary biology is to understand how these animals have adapted, survived, and even thrived in total and permanent darkness. Laboratory studies
across all disciplines have discovered some of the mechanisms underlying the morphological, physiological and behavioral gains and losses they underwent after cave colonization.
In the past ten years, our group has conducted field research to probe Astyanax cavefish biology in their natural environment. The goals of our expeditions were multiple, ranging from “simple” genetic sampling to much more challenging behavioral experiments in situ.
I will show some examples that highlight the interest of confronting data from the lab and from the field, or that question the ideas we sometimes have on cavefish adaptation. They
will include analyses of life history traits, olfactory behavior and acoustic communication that we have performed in El Abra, Micos and Guatemala caves. This work has been supported over the years by grants from FRM, ANR, CNRS-MITI, IDEEV and the Franco-Mexican exchange program Ecos-Nord.
Times Cited:
1
Relevent Species: