Two light sensors decode moonlight versus sunlight to adjust a plastic circadian/circalunidian clock to moon phase

2021

AbstractMany species synchronize their physiology and behavior to specific hours. It is commonly assumed that sunlight acts as the main entrainment signal for ~24h clocks. However, the moon provides similarly regular time information, and increasingly studies report correlations between diel behavior and lunidian cycles. Yet, mechanistic insight into the possible influences of the moon on ~24hr timers is scarce.We studiedPlatynereis dumeriliiand uncover that the moon, besides its role in monthly timing, also schedules the exact hour of nocturnal swarming onset to the nights’ darkest times. Moonlight adjusts a plastic clock, exhibiting <24h (moonlit) or >24h (no moon) periodicity. Abun…