A group of animal biologists and chemists from the Institute of Transformative Biomolecules (ITbM) at Nagoya University in central Japan, in collaboration with Toyota Boshoku Corporation and Niigata University, identified the pheromone involved in the mechanism that triggers the spawning of pufferfish on beaches using moonlight. Their findings are reported in Current biology.
Throughout history, people have been fascinated by the moon. Over the centuries, scientists have identified several links between the lunar cycle and the behavior of living things, including migration, mating and feeding. However, while the lunar rhythm may be fundamental to life, the mechanism by which it affects behavior is not well understood.
Along coasts around the world, at the time of the spring tide (i.e. new moon and full moon), thousands of puffer fish gather at the water’s edge and perform a movement torsion when they reproduce. These fish are known as “semilunar spawners”. Although this spectacular spectacle is a popular attraction, scientists do not understand the mechanism by which pufferfish synchronize their spawning with the lunar cycle.
That’s why, to better understand this phenomenon, researchers at Nagoya University applied an innovative genomic technique, called ecogenomics, to grass inflators. They identified 125 genes involved in their spawning behavior, including genes crucial for reproduction. During the high tide, the researchers also noticed receptors for a particular pheromone, PGE2.
When they applied PGE2 in a pufferfish tank, both males and females exhibited their characteristic writhing behavior during spawning. Moreover, as the dose increased, the number of responder fish also increased. Researchers concluded that spawning puffers release PGE2 in seawater, triggering synchronized spawning behavior on the beach.
“The synchronization of reproduction with the lunar cycle is not limited to organisms living along the coastline,” explained lead researcher Professor Takashi Yoshimura.
“For example, wildebeest mating and calving in cows would also be synchronized with the lunar cycle.”
He thinks this type of research also has implications for humans. “It should be noted,” he said, “that menstrual cycles, sleep-wake cycles, and manic-depressive cycles are synchronized with the moon cycle in humans, and the lunar cycle generally affects human biology and behavior.”
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Takashi Yoshimura, prostaglandin E2 synchronizes moon-regulated beach spawning in grass puffers, Current biology (2022). DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2022.09.062. www.cell.com/current-biology/f … 0960-9822(22)01604-9
Provided by Institute of Transformative Bio-Molecules (ITbM), Nagoya University
Quote: A pheromone that explains why puffer fish spawn on moonlit beaches (2022, October 27) Retrieved October 28, 2022 from https://phys.org/news/2022-10-pheromone-puffer-fish- spawn-beaches.html
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