Circadian rhythms and photic entrainment of swimming activity in cave-dwelling fish Astyanax mexicanus (Actinopterygii: Characidae), from El Sotano La Tinaja, San Luis Potosi, Mexico

Abstract

Circadian regulation has a profound adaptive meaning in timing the best performance of biological functions in a cyclic niche. However, in cave-dwelling animals (troglobitic), a lack of photic cyclic environment may represent a disadvantage for persistence of circadian rhythms. There are different populations of cave-dwelling fish Astyanax mexicanus in caves of the Sierra El Abra, Mexico, with different evolutive history. In the present work, we report that fish collected from El Sótano la Tinaja show circadian rhythms of swimming activity in laboratory conditions. Rhythms observed in some of the organisms entrain to either continuous light–dark cycles or discrete skeleton photoperiods tested. Our results indicate that circadian rhythm of swimming activity and their ability to entrain in discrete and continuous photoperiods persist in some organisms that might represent one of the oldest populations of cave-dwelling A. mexicanus in the Sierra El Abra.

Keywords:

• Astyanax mexicanus
• circadian rhythm
• photic entrainment
• cave-dwelling
• fish
• La Tinaja
• Sierra el Abra

Acknowledgements

Teresa Bosques-Tistler for English review; Omar Caballero was supported with a fellowship DGAPA, UNAM. Rodrigo Monjaraz Ruedas, Daniela Candia Ramírez Adrián Reyna Domínguez and The Sotano la Tinaja guides, for their assistance in the field expeditions. PAPIIT IN 226010, and IN 219113 to JBMM.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.