Meeting Abstract
The invasive crayfish Orconectes rusticus has invaded most watersheds in Pennsylvania and has spread throughout the Northeastern United States. Existing methods to regulate O. rusticus populations have been ineffective. Because crayfish communicate chemically by secreting pheromones, understanding the information these pheromones carry can help improve trapping methods. The aim of this study was to determine how Orconectes rusticus respond to chemical signals produced by conspecifics of the same and opposite sex. Previous studies in our lab have shown that when presented with a choice of either a pheromone or a water control, female O. rusticus are attracted to pheromones produced by males, but don’t exhibit avoidance or attraction to female pheromones. Males, on the other hand, avoid signals produced by conspecific males, but do not exhibit a differential response towards female signals. In this study, we utilized a Y-maze to present O. rusticus with a choice of male or female conspecific pheromone simultaneously and recorded their preference. The behavior of the crayfish was videotaped and individuals were believed to make a choice when they moved towards or away from one of the arms containing the pheromone. Preliminary findings suggest that males prefer female pheromones, while females do not exhibit a preference towards male or female preference.
