Cue synergy inLittorina littoreanavigation following wave dislodgement

Abstract

Under the assumption that dislodged intertidal gastropods have developed some adaptations to return to their original habitat, we investigated the cues involved in the navigation ability ofLittorina littorea, following a simulated wave-dislodgement. Return rates decreased by 2 and 4-fold in the absence of chemical cues at the surface of the sediment and the rock, respectively. The 19-fold decrease in return rates observed in the absence of both cues suggests their synergistic effect onL. littoreanavigation. Chemoreception might be much more involved in the navigation and the survival of intertidal gastropods following wave dislodgement than previously thought.