Visual Cues in the Sheltering Behavior of the Cichlid Fish Pelmatochromis pulcher

概要

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The sheltering behavior of the tropical freshwater cichlid, Pelmatochromis pulcher, was analyzed using open rectangular glass boxes having opaque (black or white) and/or transparent walls. The tendency for the fish to stay in shelters was greater as the number of black opaque walls increased. Among shelters having an equal number of opaque walls, the sheltering ratio was higher when the ceiling was opaque (Exp. I). In another experiment (Exp. II), shelters having one opaque (black or white) wall were illuminated vertically from above, or horizontally. Results showed that there are at least three visual cues involved in this behavior : (i) sheltering behavior was greater when the opaque wall was black rather than white ('blackness'), (ii) in the case of horizontal illumination through the shelter opening, the tendency to stay inside the shelter was greater when the side wall was opaque rather than transparent ('visual isolation'), and (iii) sheltering behavior occurred more frequently when the shelter provided shade as opposed to when it did not ('shading').
社団法人日本動物学会の論文
1980-06-25