Author Type

Graduate Student

Date of Award

2002

Document Type

Thesis

Publication Status

Version of Record

Submission Date

October 2026

Thesis/Dissertation Advisor [Chair]

Salmon, Michael

Abstract

Leatherback sea turtles (Dermochelys coriacea) feed exclusively on gelatinous prey. Hatchlings are solitary and must possess a predisposition to respond to prey. In laboratory experiments, I studied the responses of nineteen leatherback hatchlings to visual (jellyfish model and shapes: circle, square, diamond) and chemical (homogenates of three prey) stimuli presented alone or as paired (visual + chemical) treatments once daily. When presented alone visual stimuli resembling jellyfish outlines elicited stronger feeding responses (changes in locomotion and orientation) than those not resembling jellyfish. Chemical stimuli alone induced a rheotaxis, but responses evoked by some homogenates were stronger than responses to others. Paired stimuli evoked stronger orientation and more consistent increases in swimming (flipper stroke) rate, indicating additive effects. Results suggest that both stimuli elicit food searching behavior and when they begin to forage, hatchlings already possess predispositions to respond to an adaptive array of prey shapes and odors.

Extent

40 p.

Comments

Thesis (M.S.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2002.|Charles E. Schmidt College of Science|FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection|Thesis (M.S.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2002.

Identifier

FADT12873

Format

pdf

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