Rearing Conditions Affect Chemosensory Preferences in Young Cichlid Fish

Offspring of the Midas cichlid, Cichlasoma citrinellum, reared with both parents showed a chemosensory preference for their mother over their father on the first day of free-swimming and no clear preference for either parent thereafter. Fry reared in isolation preferred their mother; this preference appeared slightly stronger and longer-lasting in fry reared with only their mother. The preference was reversed in fry reared with only their father.