Homing behavior following shelter displacement in two crayfishes, Creaserinus fodiens (Cottle, 1863) and Faxonius rusticus (Girard, 1852) (Decapoda: Astacidea: Cambaridae)

摘要

Crayfishes are an excellent model for examining complex behaviors such as homing. We examined homing behaviors in two species of crayfish. Individuals of Creaserinus fodiens (Cottle, 1863), a primary burrower, and Faxonius rusticus (Girard, 1852), a tertiary burrower, were placed in an arena with artificial burrows embedded within a rotating disk. The disks allowed for the displacement of burrows by 90 degrees relative to the original location. Individuals were motivated to perform search behavior with the presence of food. The burrows were displaced once individuals had left the burrows and their return pathways were examined. The paths were digitized and analyzed for kinematic parameters. Crayfishes in the control group located the burrows successfully but individuals in the experimental group (displaced burrow) were unable to locate the burrows successfully. There were significant differences (P = 0.001) between the control and treatment groups in heading angles relative to burrow on the return trip, with the heading angles of the control group being significantly lower (P = 0.0003). There were species-specific differences in velocity toward the burrow, with the primary burrower being more negatively impacted by the displacement. The results confirm that the effect of burrow displacements severely impacts homing success in both species and a local cue associated with the burrow is not utilized in homing. We demonstrate that there are no significant species- specific differences in homing behavior.