Ecology, Environment and Conservation Paper

EFFECT OF ARTIFICIAL LIGHT ON THE MIGRATORY ACTIVITY OF THE PELAGIC AMPHIPOD MACROHECTOPUS BRANICKII DURING DAILY VERTICAL MIGRATION IN LAKE BAIKAL

Dmitry Karnaukhov, Ekaterina Dolinskaya, Sofia Biritskaya, Maria Teplykh, Andrey Khomich and Eugene Silow

Abstract

The only known freshwater pelagic amphipod Macrohectopus branickii inhabits Lake Baikal (Russia). The studies of the ecological peculiarities of this species by different researchers have led to contradictory results. For example, the amphipod reacted differently to artificial light. We examined this peculiarity by using a remote video recording system with different light sources, and we described the effect of the artificial light on the migratory activity of Macrohectopus branickii. It was established that the amphipod reacts differently to different wavelengths of the artificial light. The light with wavelengths from 750 to 1131 nm attracts M. branickii, while visible light and lower wavelengths frighten them or have a neutral effect on them.