Meeting Abstract

P3.15  Monday, Jan. 6 15:30  The Effects of Shelter Availability on Aggression in the Rusty Crayfish RUPP, TM*; MARTIN III, AL; Saginaw Valley State University; Saginaw Valley State University almarti2@svsu.edu

An important outcome of agonistic interactions is the allocation of resources. A higher dominance rank as a result of competition often affords an animal with greater access to resources. Shelters are an important resource and organisms will often escalate the intensity of an agonistic bout in order to obtain or sustain ownership. However, the distribution of shelters in a natural setting is often unknown, and in many animal systems it is not well understood how the availability of shelters may impact aggressive behavior. Crayfish are known to readily compete with conspecifics to gain access to shelters and other key resources. Crayfish have often served as a model organism for examining aggression and social relationships. In the present study populations of four size matched (within 10%) male crayfish, Orconectes rusticus, were presented with arrangements of two, four, or six shelters. Video analysis was used to quantify shelter use as well as fight frequencies, intensities, and outcomes over a 24 hour period. Shelter ownership, eviction rates, fight durations, and overall fight intensity were quantified and correlated between the three experimental designs. This study will provide information about the effects that the availability of resources may have on social dominance and aggressive behavior within a population.