telotaxis Biol.
(tɛləʊˈtæksɪs)
[mod.L., coined in Ger. (A. Kühn Die Orientierung der Tiere im Raum (1919) 60): see telo-1 and taxis 6.]
Directional movement made by an animal in order to keep a particular source of stimulation acting on its sense receptor(s).
| 1934 Jrnl. Exper. Biol. XI. 129 Those movements in which the animal is truly orientated Kühn calls topotaxis, and these again fall into two main groups: tropotaxis and telotaxis. 1976 D. J. Horn Biol. Insects vi. 229 An example of telotaxis that has fascinated researchers is light-compass orientation. |