Use of Multimodal Sensory Cues in Foraging Decisions among Guppies, Poecilia reticulata

Archana, Prakash K (2019) Use of Multimodal Sensory Cues in Foraging Decisions among Guppies, Poecilia reticulata. Masters thesis, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Kolkata.

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Abstract

Study of numerical abilities in animals is a field which has attracted the attention of people for a long time. Whether animals are capable of discriminating quantities, whether they are able to store and represent in memory the numerical values, whether they are able to add or compare numerical values are some areas that is being explored. In this study, we are interested investigating numerical cognition in guppies which explores the ability of individual to discriminate when a choice of two food quantities are provided to them when other continuous quantities are controlled in different environmental conditions. If they are, then up to what level they can discriminate and which sensory cue/cues are aiding them in this. Our model system is Guppies, Poecilia reticulata. We have selected them since it’s been found that they show the innate capacity of numerical abilities. The adult guppies were presented with two feeders with food pellets in both clear freshwater environment and in turbid environment and their choice were recorded and the time taken for choice within a time period of 5 minutes and the time spent near each feeder for the 2 minutes after the choice was also recorded. In each environment condition, the guppies were provided either only visual cues or only olfaction cues or both visual and olfactory cues. The choice made and the time taken and time spent near feeders were used for the analysis. The efficiency of males and females in this was also compared and analyzed. Results have shown a clear difference in performance as well as preferences among individuals when provided visual and /olfactory cues in clear and turbid environments.

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