Primary Assay — Planarian
Gliding Locomotion + Scrunching
Schmidtea mediterranea
Dual-gait analysis of normal ciliary gliding and the escape-specific scrunching gait. Scrunching — a recently discovered escape behavior — involves rhythmic body contractions at higher speeds than gliding.

Quantitative Output
Measured Parameters
Every parameter is automatically tracked frame-by-frame in the ConductVision pipeline for Schmidtea mediterranea.
| Parameter | Unit | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Gliding velocity | mm/s | Normal ciliary locomotion |
| Scrunch frequency | Hz | Escape gait contraction rate |
| Scrunch amplitude | % body length | Contraction magnitude |
| Gait transition latency | s | Time to switch from gliding to scrunching |
References
Citations for Gliding Locomotion + Scrunching
- Cochet-Escartin O, et al. (2015). Scrunching: a novel escape gait in planarians. Phys Biol, 12(5), 056010. PMID: 26356147
- Sabry Z, et al. (2019). Pharmacological or genetic targeting of TRP channels can disrupt the planarian escape response. PLoS ONE, 14(12), e0226104. PMID: 31805147
Compatible Equipment
Hardware for Planarian Research
Planarian Tracking Camera System
Automated phototaxis and locomotion
Chemotaxis Assay Plate
Gradient-based attraction testing
Dark/Light Choice Arena
Phototaxis preference
Thermal Gradient Plate
Thermotaxis assays
Regeneration Monitoring System
Post-decapitation behavioral recovery
Related Assays
Other Planarian Primary Assays

07
Phototaxis (Light Avoidance)
Schmidtea mediterranea
Scototaxis assay measuring innate light avoidance behavior. Planarians exhibit robust negative phototaxis mediated by bo…

07
Chemotaxis
Schmidtea mediterranea
Gradient-based attraction assay measuring directional movement toward chemical cues. Chemotaxis index and approach laten…

07
Behavioral Regeneration After Decapitation
Schmidtea mediterranea
Longitudinal tracking of behavioral recovery following head amputation. Measures the return of phototaxis, conditioned r…
Run Gliding Locomotion + Scrunching on ConductVision
Our team will configure the protocol, camera rig, and analysis pipeline for your planarian facility.
