Changes in olfactory sensitivity during the European eel (Anguilla Anguilla) life cycle

Abstract

The aim of this study was to test whether physiological changes are paralleled by changes in olfactory function during different stages of the European eel’s life-cycle. Sensitivity to diverse odorants (amino acids, bile acids, bile fluids, Na+ and Ca2+) was assessed by extra-cellular recording from the olfactory nerve of seawater or freshwater and immature or mature males. Sensitivity to amino acids did not differ markedly, whether fresh- or seawater-adapted, immature or mature. Sensitivity to bile acids and bile fluid, however, depended on the physiological status; in general, freshwater eels were more sensitive to bile acids than seawater fish.