Although animal-borne accelerometers are effective tools for quantifying the kinematics of animal behaviors, quantifying burst movements of small and agile aquatic animals remains challenging. To capture the details of burst movements, accelerometers need to sample at a very high frequency, which will inevitably shorten the recording duration or increase the device size. To overcome this problem, we developed a high-frequency acceleration data-logger that can be triggered by a manually-defined acceleration threshold, thus allowing the selective measurement of burst movements. We conducted experiments under laboratory and field conditions to examine the performance of the logger. The laboratory experiment using red seabream (Pagrus major) showed that the new logger could measure the kinematics of their escape behaviors. The field experiment using free-swimming yellowtail kingfish (Seriola lalandi) showed that the loggers trigger correctly. We suggest that this new logger can be applied to measure the burst movements of various small and agile animals.
A miniaturized threshold-triggered acceleration data-logger for recording burst movements of aquatic animals
Present address: National Institute for Basic Biology, 5-1 Higashiyama, Myodaiji, Okazaki, Aichi 444-8787, Japan
Present address: Institute for East China Sea Research, Organization for Marine Science Technology, Nagasaki University, 1551-7 Tairamachi, Nagasaki 851-2213, Japan
2023 JEB Outstanding Paper Prize shortlist and winner
The JEB Editors are delighted to announce the shortlisted authors for the 2023 JEB Outstanding Paper Prize. Read the winning paper - Tiny spies: mosquito antennae are sensitive sensors for eavesdropping on frog calls - by Hoover Pantoja-Sanchez and Brian Leavell from Ximena Bernal's lab at Purdue University, USA.
JEB Science Communication Workshop for ECRs
If you’re an early-career researcher interested in science communication and are attending the SEB Annual Conference in Prague this summer, come a day early and join the JEB Editors at a sci comm workshop to learn the key writing skills needed to promote your research to a broad audience beyond your peers (1 July at 14.30-17.30). Places are limited to 24 attendees, and applicants should apply through the SEB registration page by 30 April 2024.
Bridging the gap between controlled conditions and natural habitats in understanding behaviour
Novel technologies enable behavioural experiments with non-model species, in naturalistic habitats and with underexplored behaviours. In their Commentary, Scholz and colleagues discuss how to obtain a deeper understanding of the natural ecology and lifestyle of study animals.
Beluga metabolic measures could help save species
To help save animals from extinction, it’s important to understand what each species needs to survive. This led Jason John et al. to measure the metabolic rates of captive belugas to develop a ‘fish calculator’ showing that the whales need to eat ~23 salmon per day.
ECR Workshop on Positive Peer Review
Are you an ECR looking for tips on how to write concise, astute and useful manuscript reviews? If so, join the JEB Editors at a 2-hour JEB-sponsored Workshop on Positive Peer Review at the Canadian Society of Zoologists annual meeting in Moncton on 9 May 2024 at 13.00-15.00. There are 25 spaces for ECRs and selection is first come, first serve. To sign up, check the ECR Workshop box when you register for the CSZ meeting.
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