1. plural of phototaxis; the movement of an organism in response to light, either toward (positive phototaxis) or away from (negative phototaxis) the light source.
Usage: biology; technical term; plural form

Examples

• Many insects exhibit phototaxes, moving toward artificial lights at night.
• The phototaxes of aquatic larvae help them find optimal light conditions for survival.
• Scientists study phototaxes to understand how organisms navigate their environments.
• Negative phototaxes in cave-dwelling creatures reflect their adaptation to darkness.
• The phototaxes observed in these microorganisms suggest a primitive light-sensing mechanism.