Abstract
Exploration may play a crucial role in habitat choice by larvae of benthic organisms. Experiments testing exploratory behavior of larvae in flow were conducted with cyphonautes larvae of the bryozoan Membranipora membranacea. The response of the larvae to two flow parameters—flow direction and shear (i.e., velocity)—was examined by using two different substratum morphologies (flat plate and cylinder), which induce distinct flow patterns. Settling cyphonautes larvae possess a mechanism of locomotion, in addition to swimming, which may facilitate exploration in flow conditions that otherwise would sweep the larvae away. The results show that cyphonautes larvae are able to explore substrata in all directions in flow velocities that are much faster than their locomotion speeds, and that their preferential motion is upstream. This behavior has been largely ignored to date despite its potential ecological importance. For instance, upstream exploration may enable larvae to locate specific, obligatory settlement sites by tracking waterborne chemicals to their sources.
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