Colour pattern and inhibition of aggression in the cichlid fish Astronotus ocellatus |
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Authors: | S C Beeching |
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Institution: | Department of Biology, Slippery Rock University, Slippery Rock, PA 16057, U.S.A. |
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Abstract: | Oscars Astronotus ocellatus defeated in combat often undergo a colour pattern change in which the normal olive-green to brown body coloration darkens to near black, interrupted with irregular white barring. Dummy oscars were used in two complementary tests which showed that the dark-and-banded colour pattern inhibits aggression in conspecifics under two different experimental designs and with two different subject groups. |
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Keywords: | aggression colour pattern inhibition cichlid |
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