Author Type

Graduate Student

Date of Award

2008

Document Type

Thesis

Publication Status

Version of Record

Submission Date

October 2026

Thesis/Dissertation Advisor [Chair]

Kajiura, Stephen M.

Abstract

This study determined the electrosensitivity of a euryhaline elasmobranch, the Atlantic stingray, Dasyatis sabina, throughout the range of salinities that it would naturally encounter. It quantified the behavioral response of the stingrays to prey-simulating electric stimuli in freshwater, brackish, and full strength seawater. The electroreceptive capability of stingrays from a permanent freshwater population in the St. Johns River system was also compared with stingrays that inhabit the tidally-dynamic Indian River Lagoon in east Florida. This study demonstrated that D. sabina can detect prey-simulating electric fields in freshwater, but the function of its electrosensory system is significantly reduced. The SJR stingrays did not demonstrate an enhanced electrosensitivity in freshwater, nor did they have reduced sensitivity when introduced to higher salinities. The reduction in electrosensitivity and detection range in freshwater is attributed to both an environmental factor (electrical resistivity of the water) and the physiological limitations of the ampullary canals.

Extent

40 p.

Comments

Includes bibliography.|Thesis (M.A.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2008.|FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection|Includes bibliography.

Identifier

FA00000797

Format

pdf

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