Exogenous and Endogenous Control of Swimming Activity in Astyanax mexicanus (Characidae, Pisces) by Direct Light Response and by a Circadian Oscillator I. Analyses of the Time-Control Systems of an Epigean River Population

Abstract

Abstract 1. The swimming activity of 6 specimens of an Astyanax mexicanus' river population was tested with regard to its time control under various light-dark(LD)cycles and under constant conditions. 2. Activity is classified into three different forms according to the special experimental arrangement: surface activity, bottom activity and the sum of both (total activity). 3. All applied LD-cycles act as socalled forcing signals (Zeitgeber) and entrain the activity. 4. The maximum values of surface activity correspond to the dark phases of a LD-cycle, those of bottom activity to the light phases. This inversity causes a less strong entrainment of the total activity up to a loss of a significant oscillation in extreme cases. 5. This inverse pattern is kept the more stronger the more the period length of a LD deviates from 24 h. In the range of resonance about 24 h there is a greater flexibility with regard to the phase relation of the maximum values. 6. Activity reacts very sensitive to the differential parameter of the forcing signal. Therefore, no phaseangle difference occurs between forcing and forced signal. Moreover, the system needs no swing-in time to become entrained when starting a LD. 7. After transition from LD to DD (= constant darkness) the forced signal does not die away immediately, but damps out within one or a few cycles with decreasing amplitude and unchanged frequency. 8. In nearly all applied LDs a non-synchronized circadian rhythm can be observed in addition to the entrained frequency, which is dominant. 9. Also, in DD a freerunning circadian rhythm is detectable. 10. We suggest the model that first a passive system with a nearly unlimited range of entrainment controls activity. In contrary to extremely passive systems, it is able to oscillate. Moreover, it acts like a linear system with respect to frequency transfer: In the tested cases, output and input frequency are equal. In addition, activity is under control of an endogenous circadian oscillator. Its effects are overlapped under forcing conditions, but they become obvious under constant conditions. Furthermore, nonstationary processes are features of this circadian rhythm. The proper­ ties of a passive and a circadian system alone do not explain the flexible patterns in the range of resonance. Therefore, a time-dependent controller is demanded to control the phase relation of the maxima.