Effects of Water Temperature and Housing Conditions upon the Aggressive Behavior of the Lobster Homarus americanus

1975 ◽  
Vol 32 (5) ◽  
pp. 713-717 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ronald S. Hoffman ◽  
Philip J. Dunham ◽  
Patrick V. Kelly
Keyword(s):  
Aggressive Behavior ◽  
Water Temperature ◽  
Homarus Americanus ◽  
Housing Conditions ◽  
Test Situation ◽  
Visual Contact ◽  
Physical Isolation

Lobsters are more aggressive at 10 C than at 5 C. At 10 C, animals housed communally, and those in physical isolation with visual contact, are less aggressive in a test situation than lobsters housed with no physical or visual contact.

scholarly journals Water temperature affects aggressive interactions in a Neotropical cichlid fish

2018 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Manuela L. Brandão ◽  
Gisele Colognesi ◽  
Marcela C. Bolognesi ◽  
Roselene S. Costa-Ferreira ◽  
Thaís B. Carvalho ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Aggressive Behavior ◽  
Water Temperature ◽  
Elevated Temperatures ◽  
Cichlid Fish ◽  
Aquatic Organisms ◽  
Swimming Activity ◽  
Critical Thermal Maximum ◽  
Physiological Mechanisms ◽  
Aggressive Interactions ◽  
Thermal Maximum

ABSTRACT Changes in water temperature may affect the aggressive behavior of aquatic organisms, such as fish, either by changing some physiological mechanisms or by increasing the probability of encounters between individuals as a result of variation in their swimming activity. In our study, we evaluated the influence of increasing and decreasing temperature on the aggressive behavior of the Neotropical cichlid fish Cichlasoma paranaense. Firstly, we tested the critical thermal maximum (CTMax) tolerated by this species. Then, we tested the effect of decreasing or increasing the water temperature in 6o C (starting at 27° C) on the aggressive interactions of fish under isolation or housed in groups. We found a CTMax value of 39° C for C. paranaense. We also observe that a 6° C decrease in water temperature lowers swimming activity and aggressive interactions in both isolated and group-housed fish, as expected. On the other hand, the increase in temperature had no effect on the fish’s aggressive behavior, neither for isolated nor for grouped fish. We concluded that C. paranaense shows high tolerance to elevated temperatures and, in turn, it does not affect aggressive behavior. Nevertheless, we cannot dismiss possible effects of elevated temperatures on aggressive interactions over longer periods.

Evidence for thermally mediated settlement in lobster larvae (Homarus americanus)

2013 ◽  
Vol 70 (11) ◽  
pp. 1641-1649 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eric R. Annis ◽  
Carl J. Wilson ◽  
Robert Russell ◽  
Philip O. Yund
Keyword(s):  
Water Temperature ◽  
Settlement Patterns ◽  
Coastal Region ◽  
Homarus Americanus ◽  
Size Increase ◽  
Coastal Current ◽  
Bottom Temperature ◽  
Degree Days ◽  
Successful Recruitment ◽  
Behavioral Avoidance

We examined the potential for bottom temperatures ≤12 °C to inhibit successful recruitment of planktonic lobster postlarvae to the benthos. In laboratory trials, postlarvae held at 11 °C exhibited higher mortality, slower development, and reduced size increase at molt relative to postlarvae held at 13 °C. We sampled at field sites within Machias Bay, Maine (mean bottom temperature 12.39 °C, 46.1 degree-days ≥12 °C) and at the mouth of the bay (mean bottom temperature 11.57 °C, 5.1 degree-days ≥12 °C), where temperature was influenced by the cold Eastern Maine Coastal Current (EMCC). We found significantly higher settlement at the warm inshore site but, the abundance of competent planktonic postlarvae was not significantly different between sites, indicating a disconnect between postlarval abundance and settlement. Regional sampling of newly settled lobsters revealed a pattern of higher settlement at inshore sites extending across a broader coastal region impacted by the EMCC. Our results suggest that small differences in water temperature may shape settlement patterns through either behavioral avoidance of colder settlement sites or elevated postsettlement mortality of postlarvae settling at colder sites.

Territoriality and dominance in male Columbian ground squirrels (Spermophilus columbianus)

1978 ◽  
Vol 56 (11) ◽  
pp. 2402-2412 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. O. Murie ◽  
M. A. Harris
Keyword(s):  
Aggressive Behavior ◽  
Ground Squirrels ◽  
Adult Males ◽  
Length Of Residence ◽  
Visual Contact ◽  
Habitat Features ◽  
Spermophilus Columbianus ◽  
Core Areas ◽  
Columbian Ground Squirrels ◽  
Spacing System

We describe the spacing system and associated aggressive behavior of male Columbian ground squirrels in southwestern Alberta for the 2 months following emergence from hibernation. Adult males (> 2 years old) were classified as dominant if they chased other males more than they were chased by them within their core areas and subordinate if the reverse was true. For dominant males, the proportion of interactions in which they were chased was much less within their core areas than outside them, and defended boundaries between some pairs of adjacent males were apparent from locations of chases and chase reversals. We consider these males to maintain spatiotemporal territories. For subordinate males, the proportion of interactions in which they were chased was similar inside and outside their core areas; they were subordinate in most interactions with any territorial male. Status (dominant–territorial or subordinate) was related to age. Most 2- and 3-year-old males were subordinate; all males of 4 years or older were territorial. Among different groups of male Columbian ground squirrels, variation in expression of the spacing system may depend on habitat features that affect visual contact among squirrels and age and length of residence of the males in the area.

Some Effects of Group Housing Upon the Aggressive Behavior of the Lobster Homarus americanus

1972 ◽  
Vol 29 (5) ◽  
pp. 598-601 ◽  
Author(s):  
Philip J. Dunham
Keyword(s):  
Aggressive Behavior ◽  
Homarus Americanus ◽  
Group Housing

Lobsters maintained in a group housing tank for 36 days were less aggressive than lobsters maintained in individual tanks. A measure of activity indicated that differences in aggressive behavior could not be explained in terms of activity differences between the two groups.

scholarly journals Behavioral thermoregulation in the American lobster Homarus americanus.

1998 ◽  
Vol 201 (3) ◽  
pp. 365-374
Author(s):  
G T Crossin ◽  
S A Al-Ayoub ◽  
S H Jury ◽  
W H Howell ◽  
W H Watson
Keyword(s):  
Ambient Temperature ◽  
Water Temperature ◽  
Natural Habitat ◽  
Homarus Americanus ◽  
Behavioral Thermoregulation ◽  
Acclimation Temperature ◽  
American Lobster ◽  
Winter Temperatures ◽  
Higher Temperature ◽  
Behavioral Evidence

It is generally accepted that water temperature has a strong influence on the behavior of the American lobster Homarus americanus. However, there is surprisingly little behavioral evidence to support this view. To characterize the behavioral responses of lobsters to thermal gradients, three different experiments were conducted. In the first, 40 lobsters acclimated to summer water temperatures (summer-acclimated, 15.5±0.2 °C, mean ± s.e.m.) were placed individually in an experimental shelter, and the temperature in the shelter was gradually raised until the lobster moved out. Lobsters avoided water warmer than 23.5±0.4 °C, which was an increase of 8.0±0.4 °C from ambient summer temperatures. When this experiment was repeated with lobsters acclimated to winter temperatures (winter-acclimated, 4.3±0.1 °C), the lobsters (N=30) did not find temperature increases of the same magnitude (T=8.0±0.4 °C) aversive. The second experiment was designed to allow individual summer-acclimated lobsters (N=22) to select one of five shelters, ranging in temperature from 8.5 to 25.5 °C. After 24 h, 68 % of the lobsters occupied the 12.5 °C shelter, which was slightly above the ambient temperature (approximately 11 °C). In a similar experiment, winter-acclimated lobsters (N=30) were given a choice between two shelters, one at ambient temperature (4.6±0.2 °C) and one at a higher temperature (9.7±0.3 °C). Winter-acclimated lobsters showed a strong preference (90 %) for the heated shelter. In the final experiment, summer-acclimated lobsters (N=9) were allowed to move freely in a tank having a thermal gradient of approximately 10 °C from one end to the other. Lobsters preferred a thermal niche of 16.5±0.4 °C and avoided water that was warmer than 19 °C or colder than 13 °C. When standardized for acclimation temperature, lobsters preferred water 1.2±0.4 °C above their previous ambient temperature. Collectively, the results of these studies indicate that lobsters are capable of sensing water temperature and use this information to thermoregulate behaviorally. The implications of these findings for lobster behavior and distribution in their natural habitat are discussed.

scholarly journals Habitat structure directly affects aggression in convict cichlids Archocentrus nigrofasciatus

2010 ◽  
Vol 56 (1) ◽  
pp. 52-56 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anthony J. Barley ◽  
Ronald M. Coleman
Keyword(s):  
Laboratory Experiment ◽  
Aggressive Behavior ◽  
Water Temperature ◽  
Habitat Structure ◽  
Average Duration ◽  
Structural Complexity ◽  
Archocentrus Nigrofasciatus ◽  
Convict Cichlids ◽  
Dominant Female ◽  
Resource Levels

Abstract Aggressive behavior can be an important factor in determining how animals use and divide space and resources. Previous studies have shown that aggression in fishes can be influenced by a variety of factors, including water temperature and resource levels. In this study, we tested if the amount of habitat structure in the environment affected aggression levels in female convict cichlids Archocentrus nigrofasciatus. We performed a laboratory experiment in which we placed female convict cichlids into an aquarium with low or high amounts of habitat structure and monitored the dominant female's behavior toward the subordinate female. Aggressive behavior in convict cichlids primarily consists of chases and bites. We found that the total time the dominant female spent chasing the subordinate female was greater when there was a low amount of habitat structure as compared to when there was a high amount of habitat structure. We also found that both the average duration of a chasing bout and the number of bites directed at the subordinate fish increased when there was a low amount of structure, but the number of chases did not. These results indicate that increased habitat structural complexity decreases aggressive behavior in convict cichlids.

scholarly journals THE SOCIAL CONTEXT OF CONTACT CALLS BY ROOKS (CORVUS FRUGILEGUS)

2009 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 34-44
Author(s):  
Alexandru MUNTEANU ◽  
Ionel PAPUC ◽  
Ira FEDERSPIEL ◽  
Nicola CLAYTON ◽  
Nathan EMERY
Keyword(s):  
Information Exchange ◽  
Social Life ◽  
Vocal Communication ◽  
Visual Contact ◽  
Physical Isolation ◽  
Corvus Frugilegus ◽  
The Social ◽  
Contact Calls ◽  
Group Members ◽  
Interspecific Barriers

Communication is the link between individuals of one species and represents the essence of social life. Vocal communication is one of the most studied forms of information exchange, although it also comes with interspecific barriers that are still tricky to overcome. While we are able to understand the meaning of another human’s words, we fail to understand an animal’s utterances. Among these, bird song has become a field of particular interest. However, little is known yet about many species’ vocalizations, and even less about their significance or how different factors influence them. The presented study establishes the vocal repertoire of a group of rooks and further investigates the importance of contact calls between partners in an experiment. We found that test subjects and other group members produced more contact calls after than before partners had been separated from each other, indicating stress induced by physical isolation and/or the lack of visual contact as an important factor influencing the call frequency. Separating certain individuals seemed to affect the group differently, which indicates that the ‘importance’ of the animal to the group influences the group call rate. In this study, we have shown how social and environmental factors play a role in vocal communication in birds.

Effects of Time of Day, Water Temperature, and Water Velocity on Swimming by Postlarvae of the American Lobster, Homarus americanus

1991 ◽  
Vol 48 (10) ◽  
pp. 1944-1950 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patricia Rooney ◽  
J. Stanley Cobb
Keyword(s):  
Water Temperature ◽  
Larval Stage ◽  
Stage Iv ◽  
Homarus Americanus ◽  
Time Of Day ◽  
Water Velocity ◽  
Swimming Behavior ◽  
American Lobster ◽  
Swimming Mode

Swimming speeds and swimming behavior of laboratory-reared and wild postlarvae (larval stage IV) of the American lobster, Homarus americanus, were observed in tanks of still water and in a linear flume. Mean swimming speeds ranged from about 7 cm∙s−1 in the "claws-apart" swimming mode to 13.2 cm∙s−1 in the streamlined, "claws-together" mode. In the flume, the total time spent swimming during a 30-min test period decreased as water velocity increased from 8 to 14 cm∙s−1. The time spent swimming was greater during the day than at either dusk or night. Postlarvae spent very little time swimming at 15 °C but significantly more at 21 °C. Wild postlarvae were larger, heavier, and swam more rapidly than laboratory-reared postlarvae. Rapid, directional swimming by postlarval lobsters may play a role in determination of distribution and recruitment to benthic populations.

scholarly journals The Influence of Breed, Sex, Origin and Housing Conditions on Undesirable Behaviors in Ancient Dog Breeds

Animals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 1435
Author(s):  
Anna Wójcik ◽  
Kinga Powierża
Keyword(s):  
Aggressive Behavior ◽  
Separation Anxiety ◽  
Repetitive Behaviors ◽  
Housing Conditions ◽  
Aggressive Behaviors ◽  
Motor Activities ◽  
Dog Owners

Abnormal repetitive behaviors often pose problems for dog owners. Such behaviors are considered undesirable if they pose a nuisance or a danger to humans. Ancient dog breeds are intelligent, sociable, active, boisterous and need regular outdoor exercise, but are also independent and reluctant to follow commands. This study aimed to identify factors (breed, sex, origin, housing conditions) and situations that contribute to undesirable behaviors, such as aggression towards humans and other dogs/animals, separation anxiety, excessive vocalization, and oral and locomotion behaviors in Akita, Alaskan Malamute, Basenji, Samoyed and Siberian husky. Undesirable behaviors in dogs were analyzed based on the results of 897 questionnaires. Breed influenced aggressive behavior towards other dogs/animals, aggression towards humans, undesirable oral and locomotion behaviors, and excessive vocalization. Aggressive behaviors were more prevalent in females than in males. Housing conditions were linked with aggression towards other dogs/animals, aggression at mealtime, and excessive vocalization. Undesirable behaviors were most frequently reported in Akitas, Siberian huskies and Samoyeds, and they were more prevalent in males than in females and dogs living indoors with or without access to a backyard. Aggressive behaviors towards other dogs and animals, excessive vocalization and undesirable motor activities posed the greatest problems in ancient dog breeds.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document