Effect of aging on manipulative behavior in the cuttlefish, sepia.
The cuttlefish is an active predator that is able to catch crabs of a size that is large relative to its own. The capture is followed by a complex manipulative behavior leading to paralysis of the prey by injection of a cephalotoxin. This manipulative behavior is relatively stereotyped, and earlier research has shown that the cuttlefish concentrates its bite on the articular basi-ischiocoxopodite membrane of the crab's fifth pair of pereiopods. By placing mechanical constraints on the base of the fifth pereiopods, we were able to demonstrate that this manipulative behavior presents a marked degree of stereotypy but is not rigidly fixed. Substantial behavioral differences, however, were observed between subadult and senescent cuttlefish. The existence of a reduction in behavioral flexibility in the older animals in reaction to the constraints is discussed.
Halm
M P
MP
Laboratoire de Psychophysiologie, Université de Caen, 14032 Caen Cedex, France, and Station Marine (CREC), 14530, Luc sur Mer, France.
Agin
V
V
Chichery
M P
MP
Chichery
R
R
D000375:Aging / Q000523:psychology*; D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000502:physiology*; D005121:Extremities; D007323:Instinct; D008974:Mollusca / Q000502:physiology*; D011235:Predatory Behavior / Q000502:physiology; D013239:Stereotyped Behavior / Q000502:physiology