Exogenous and Endogenous Control of Swimming Activity in Astyanax mexicanus (Characidae, Pisces) by Direct Light Response and by a Circadian Oscillator II. Features of Time-Controlled Behaviour of a Cave Population and their Comparison to a Epigean Ancestral Form

Abstract

Abstract 1. The swimming activity of 6 specimens of the Pachon cave form of Astyanax mexicanus was tested with regard to its time control under various light-dark(LD)cycles and constant conditions, and it is compared to that of a river form. 2. In general, activity is entrainable by all applied LDs, but even if the amplitude of a forcing signal increases the signal energies are lower than in the river fish. 3. In case of entrainment the maximum values of surface activity correspond to the dark phases, those of bottom activity to the light phases of a LD. Flexible patterns -as often observed in the river form in the range of resonance about 24 h - are very seldom. Furthermore, disturbances of­ ten occur in the entrainment of one activity form, or one form runs arrhythmic while the other is still entrained. 4. The activity answers to changing environmental conditions are not as uniformly quick as in the river fish. But the system hardly needs a swing-in time to become entrained when a LD starts. 5. After transition from LD to DD (= constant darkness) the entrained rhythms disappear immediately. 6. In no LD with a period length differing from 24 h a circadian rhythm can be observed in addition to the entrained frequency. 7. These results show that the passive system of the river form has developped into an extremely passive one being unable to oscillate and thus has become simplified during regressive evolution. Concerning the circadian oscillator of the epigean ancestor, it was also subjected to regression, but it has not been completely lost. After a LD with a period length about 24 h the circadian oscillator is able to act as a stable system, clearly shown by the freerunning circadian rhythms of surface activity. But out of this range the oscillator is unable to control activity. In DD after all other LDs activity patterns are arrhythmic.