Using The Observer to analyze aggression in African cichlid fish

Peter Dijkstra and Boye Gricar (Haren, The Netherlands)
Pundamilia pundamilia and Pundamilia nyererei are red and blue African cichlid fish respectively and are endemic Lake Victoria species. Male cichlid fish were brought from the Mwanza Gulf, Phyton, and Kissenda Island into the Zoological Laboratory in Haren, The Netherlands and were confronted with stimulus individuals of both colors, enclosed in transparent tubes. Ten minutes videos were analysed with The Observer. The following behavioral patterns were recorded: display behavior (i.e. frontal and lateral display) and attack behavior (i.e. biting and butting) at the walls of the tubes that contained the stimulus males.
Duration of display towards the red stimulus male and towards the blue stimulus male were calculated, as well as frequency of display, duration of attack, and frequency of attack.
The Observer appeared to be an excellent system to examine fish behaviors in both frequency and duration budgets. The Observer allowed for examination of many behavioral variables, which appeared to be very important to the research questions.

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