FERO, K.C.*; MOORE, P.A.; Bowling Green State University; Bowling Green State University: Social status induces variability in shelter use and forging behavior in crayfish

Dominance hierarchies afford individuals varying access to resources such as food, shelter, and mates; thus, social status imposes direct consequences on individual fitness. During hierarchy formation in crayfish, the resulting dominant and subordinate exhibit disparate aspects of agonistic behavior. In conjunction with a behavioral change, a physiological change likely occurs as various studies have indicated that social status may be communicable via urine. This study attempts to elucidate whether persisting social status induces behavioral shifts in individuals in the absence of conspecific reinforcement. We hypothesize that socially conditioned individuals will differentially express non-agonistic behaviors that are directly associated with individual fitness. Male, form 1, Orconectes rusticus were subjected to persistent status reinforcement, were placed in isolation and monitored for variation in activity. Dominant conditioned individuals were found to spend significantly more time within the shelter than subordinates. Conversely, subordinate conditioned animals spent significantly more time outside of the shelter than did dominants. Shelter use is unrelated to aggression yet its expression is altered as a result of agonistic interaction. This result suggests that in O. rusticus, agonism and shelter use are mediated by similar physiological mechanisms.