Meeting Abstract
In the natural environment, there are varying levels of complexity of resources such as food, shelter, and mates. Previous studies have shown that crayfish exhibit preferences for shelters, and these preferences have typically been examined in the context of aggressive interactions. However, it is unknown how external stimuli such as the presence of predators, naïve conspecifics, and status specific crayfish influence the focal animal’s preference in the absence of physical interactions. Shelter-seeking behavior of male rusty crayfish, Faxionus rusticus, was examined in relation to stimuli from a crayfish counterpart as well as a largemouth bass predator, Micropterus salmoides. Five different experiments were performed with a naïve focal crayfish: 1) a control, 2) exposure to a naïve conspecific, 3) a dominant crayfish, 4) a subordinate, and 5) a largemouth bass. Individual crayfish were presented with four variable PVC shelters, consisting of one, two, three, or four openings inside a transparent chamber physically isolated from the external stimulus. The first two experiments consisted of 16 trials, while the last three each had five trials, all of which were recorded for 24 hours under a 12:12 hour light-dark cycle. Each trial was analyzed by observing shelter type and the duration of time spent in that shelter. Focal animals exhibited preference in the presence of naïve conspecifics, but they did not exhibit preference in the control experiment. External stimuli altered crayfish shelter use and preference, but further trials are necessary to understand the broader influence of varying stimulus types.
