Utilizing a Community Cichlid Fish Tank for Animal Behavior Studies

 

Tested Studies in Laboratory Teaching, 2012, Volume 33

James Foo, Ronald Orlovsky, Bianca Brown, Samantha Jones, & Kathleen Nolan

Abstract

A large fish tank on display at St. Francis College has served as a unique opportunity to study animal behavior using cichlids. The tank can be partitioned into three viewing regions and students can, using timers, view the movement of the fish, one fish at a time. They can record each time a fish moves into a different partition. They might find that some fish are more territorial than others. Separate smaller ten-gallon tanks can then be set up to house individual cichlids to be used for territorial behavior and color change studies.

Keywords:  animal behavior, fish, territoriality

New Mexico State University (2011)