Chou, Audrey; Duffy, Alexandra; Johnson, Jerald (Brigham Young University)
Faculty Advisor: Johnson, Jerald (Brigham Young University, Biology)
Upon injury, fish release chemicals that cause fear and a dramatic change in behavior in nearby members of the species. Chemical alarm cues are released from injured epidermal tissue and provide an early warning signal for individuals to detect the presence of an active predator, and potentially increase the chances of individual survival. This research project investigates the conservation of alarm cue recognition and response across species boundaries by measuring the behavioral response of Brachyrhaphis rhabdophora to the alarm cues from five different species. Since these species will be of known phylogenetic relatedness, we will determine conservation of alarm cue response as a function of phylogenetic distance. I will also discuss the method of quantifying behavioral response through the use of a two-choice flume tank to measure both changes in activity and spatial avoidance upon alarm cue exposure.