Many model organisms currently in use for behavioral observations in teaching labs are invertebrates for their
ease of care and considerably fewer use restrictions compared to vertebrates. Moreover, many invertebrate
species are reclusive during daytime or easily startled, and thus may not demonstrate the anticipated behaviors
during the observation window available to students during the teaching lab block. Implementing a charismatic
vertebrate can increase student engagement and their ability to collect reliable data in a short time frame.
However, the use of vertebrates in undergraduate teaching labs is challenging due to regulations for vertebrate
use due to the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC). We adapted an invertebrate lab to use a
vertebrate model species following IACUC committee requirements. Male betta fish, a well-known, readily
available, and charismatic vertebrate model with a reliably-induced behavior response was selected. We
specifically designed it to be an engaging inquiry-based undergraduate teaching lab for non-major first-year
students to seniors who are interested in biology. To introduce major concepts in biological systems, we
constructed hands-on experiences to explore ecological questions and to design experiments on mating-induced
aggressive behavior in male betta fish. We were able to maintain an inquiry-based design with minimal contact
with the fish themselves to reduce stress and danger to the animals. Students observe male betta fish showing
their overt displays of aggressive mating behavior to score in ethograms they developed to test their hypotheses.
A variety of novel objects including fake rubber betta fish, mirrors, and other objects could be chosen to introduce
to the fish to observe their behavior. This experience resulted in both high student engagement and reliable data
collection by students. Utilizing a well-known and charismatic vertebrate in our labs improved the involvement
and interest in the experiment more than with the previous use of invertebrates.
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