Swimming direction of the glass catfish is responsive to magnetic stimulation

• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0248141
• Publication Date: 2021-03-05T18:28:40Z
• Authors: Ryan D. Hunt; Ryan C. Ashbaugh; Mark Reimers; Lalita Udpa; Gabriela Saldana ...; Michael Moore; Assaf A. Gilad; Galit Pelled
• Keywords: Magnetic Fields; Science; Predatory Behavior; Q; R; Medicine; Animals; 14. Life underwater; Catfishes; Swimming; Research Article

Several marine species have developed a magnetic perception that is essential for navigation and detection of prey and predators. One of these species is the transparent glass catfish that contains an ampullary organ dedicated to sense magnetic fields. Here we examine the behavior of the glass catfish in response to static magnetic fields which will provide valuable insight on function of this magnetic response. By utilizing state of the art animal tracking software and artificial intelligence approaches, we quantified the effects of magnetic fields on the swimming direction of glass catfish. The results demonstrate that glass catfish placed in a radial arm maze, consistently swim away from magnetic fields over 20 μT and show adaptability to changing magnetic field direction and location.