Landmark navigation in a mantis shrimp
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Date
2020-10-07
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Citation of Original Publication
Patel Rickesh N. and Cronin Thomas W. 2020Landmark navigation in a mantis shrimp Proc. R. Soc. B.287 2020189820201898 http://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2020.1898
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Abstract
Mantis shrimp commonly occupy burrows in shallow, tropical waters. These habitats are often structurally complex where many potential landmarks are available. Mantis shrimp of the species Neogonodactylus oerstedii return to their burrows between foraging excursions using path integration, a vector-based navigational strategy that is prone to accumulated error. Here, we show that N. oerstedii can navigate using landmarks in parallel with their path integration system, correcting for positional uncertainty generated when navigating using solely path integration. We also report that when the path integration and landmark navigation systems are placed in conflict, N. oerstedii will orientate using either system or even switch systems enroute. How they make the decision to trust one navigational system over another is unclear. These findings add to our understanding of the refined navigational toolkit N. oerstedii relies upon to efficiently navigate back to its burrow, complementing its robust, yet error prone, path integration system with landmark guidance.