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Fish behaviour

Stomach rinsing in rays

Nature volume 404, page 566 (2000)Cite this article

An Erratum to this article was published on 04 May 2000

Abstract

The vomiting reflex is a protective mechanism for the bulk ejection of noxious material, and is common in vertebrates1. Here we show that the thornback ray Raja clavata (Rajidae) can ‘rinse’ its stomach by full gastric eversion, washing small indigestible food particles and sloughed gastric mucosa and mucus out of the upper digestive tract. This may be a widespread mechanism, besides vomiting, for fish to remove noxious material from the stomach.

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Figure 1: Temporal sequence of stomach eversion and swallowing in Raja clavata .

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Author notes

  1. J. Z. Young: Deceased

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physiology, St George's Hospital Medical School, Cranmer Terrace, London , SW17 0RE, UK

    Paul L. R. Andrews

  2. Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford , OX1 3UD, UK

    J. Z. Young

  3. Department of Zoology, University of Aberdeen, Tillydrone Avenue, Aberdeen, AB24 2TZ, UK

    David W. Sims

Authors
  1. David W. Sims
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  2. Paul L. R. Andrews
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  3. J. Z. Young
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to David W. Sims.

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Sims, D., Andrews, P. & Young, J. Stomach rinsing in rays. Nature 404, 566 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1038/35007149

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