Yonggang Jiang^{a, b,} , ,Jianchao Fu^a,Deyuan Zhang^a,Yahui Zhao^c

^a School of Mechanical Engineering and Automation, Beihang University, Beijing 100191, China

^b International Research Institute for Multidisciplinary Science, Beihang University, Beijing 100191, China

^c Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China

 

Cavefish, with sensitive lateral lines, can swim freely and locate preys in invisible and complex cave environments, though their eyes are greatly degenerated. Investigations on the morphology and distribution characteristics of their lateral line systems would benefit our understanding of the high-sensitivity mechanism of the fish. In this study, the arrangement and morphology of the lateral lines are described for two species of Sinocyclocheilus: S. macrophthalmus and S. microphthalmus, which live in the karst caves in Guangxi, China. The behavior experiments indicate that the lateral line system of the S. macrophthalmus is more sensitive at a low vibration frequency range from 20 Hz to 70 Hz. The cephalic and trunk lateral line systems both contribute to the efficient object-locating capability. For both of the two species of cavefish, the diameter of the lateral canal nearby the neuromasts is narrower than that nearby the canal pores. This variation can increase the normal pressure to the surface of the cupula, and increase the sensitivity of the canal lateral line system.

 

Keywords

lateral line system;cavefish;neuromast;bionic sensing

 

Full text is available at http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1672652914601645