Pheromone Sends Long-range Signal

photograph of petromyzon marinus in a fish tank

Biological Strategy

Lampreys

AskNature Team

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Send Chemical Signals (Odor, Taste, Etc.)

Tastes, odors, and hormones are all chemical signals that can float through the air or water, or be applied to solid surfaces. Chemicals are important for signaling and communication; even humans, with our underdeveloped sense of smell, are influenced by chemicals more than we realize. Chemical signals are often specific to the living system intended to receive them, and are often relatively weak, dispersing upon moving through liquids or gases. To ensure that chemical signals reach their target, living systems create unique chemical signals and methods of dispersal. One example is an orchid that is pollinated by dung beetles, and therefore distributes a dung-smelling aroma to attract them.

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Fish

Class Agnatha (“without jaws”), Class Chondrichthyes (“cartilage fish”), Superclass Osteichthyes (“bone fish”): Sharks, eels, snapper, hagfish

The fish are a diverse group, comprising multiple classes within Phylum Animalia. The most well-known classes are Chondrichthyes, which has sharks and rays, and superclass Osteichthyes, which has all bony fish like cod and tuna. Unlike other vertebrates, fish only live in water. They use special adaptations like fins, gills, and swim bladders to survive. Most are ectothermic, meaning their body temperature depends on the water temperature around them. Over half of all vertebrates are fish. They’re found from the bottom of the sea to high mountain lakes.

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Special glands in male sea lamprey gills release a bile that acts as a sex pheromone to attract long-distance females.

“We show that reproductively mature male sea lampreys release a bile acid that acts as a potent sex pheromone, inducing preference and searching behavior in ovulated female lampreys..the male of this fish species signals both its reproductive status and location to females by secreting a pheromone that can act over long distance.” (Li et al. 2002:138)