Cichlid Fish Interaction Analysis
By: Haley Sullivan
Look Who’s Watching:
How Social Cognition Shapes Animal Behavior in Cichlid Fish (A. burtoni)
Social animals (including humans) live in physically unique and social environments requiring them to observe and rapidly respond to the social and environmental context (cues) of their surroundings. An observed method that some species use in order to adjust to their social setting is altering their behavior based on “who” or “what” is present at any given time. A key social influence for many species, including the experimentally studied Cichlid Fish, is social rank (dominance hierarchy) (1). This is an element in animal societies that allows for them to not only become vastly aware of their social environment, but also assists …show more content…
The interaction analysis between T and NT males showed that NT males never behaved aggressively at the same time as the dominant male (Russell D. Fernald1). The Behavioral analysis showed that aggressive behavior in NT males depended on whether the T male was visible to them, or not.
It was observed that when the T male was out of view, NT fish behaved much more aggressively and also courted females (behaviors that rarely occurred when the T male could see the NT male). It was also observed that T males were aggressive equally against NT males who had just performed an aggressive act as compared with those that had not. In assessing the effect of an audience on male behavior, researchers tested whether aggressive displays in Cichlid Fish depend on the nature of the audience. Fights between focal males in the presence of different audiences was then observed. The data for this showed a significant effect of audience type and no difference between display types. When males were viewed by a larger, more dominant male, they decreased their number of aggressive interactions/aggressive displays in comparison to controls. When males fought in the presence of a single gravid female, focal males increased their aggression/number of aggressive postures. Lastly, when males were placed in the presence of an audience of a group of females (varying in reproductive state), a size matched or a smaller male, there was no difference in the number of overt aggressive
Look Who’s Watching:
How Social Cognition Shapes Animal Behavior in Cichlid Fish (A. burtoni)
Social animals (including humans) live in physically unique and social environments requiring them to observe and rapidly respond to the social and environmental context (cues) of their surroundings. An observed method that some species use in order to adjust to their social setting is altering their behavior based on “who” or “what” is present at any given time. A key social influence for many species, including the experimentally studied Cichlid Fish, is social rank (dominance hierarchy) (1). This is an element in animal societies that allows for them to not only become vastly aware of their social environment, but also assists …show more content…
The interaction analysis between T and NT males showed that NT males never behaved aggressively at the same time as the dominant male (Russell D. Fernald1). The Behavioral analysis showed that aggressive behavior in NT males depended on whether the T male was visible to them, or not.
It was observed that when the T male was out of view, NT fish behaved much more aggressively and also courted females (behaviors that rarely occurred when the T male could see the NT male). It was also observed that T males were aggressive equally against NT males who had just performed an aggressive act as compared with those that had not. In assessing the effect of an audience on male behavior, researchers tested whether aggressive displays in Cichlid Fish depend on the nature of the audience. Fights between focal males in the presence of different audiences was then observed. The data for this showed a significant effect of audience type and no difference between display types. When males were viewed by a larger, more dominant male, they decreased their number of aggressive interactions/aggressive displays in comparison to controls. When males fought in the presence of a single gravid female, focal males increased their aggression/number of aggressive postures. Lastly, when males were placed in the presence of an audience of a group of females (varying in reproductive state), a size matched or a smaller male, there was no difference in the number of overt aggressive