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Field Observations Of Intraspecific Agonistic Behavior Of Two Crayfish Species, Orconectes Rusticus And Orconectes Virilis, In Different Habitats, Daniel A. Bergman, Paul A. Moore

Peer Reviewed Articles

Agonistic behavior is a fundamental aspect of ecological theories on resource acquisition and sexual selection.

Crustaceans are exemplary models for agonistic behavior within the laboratory, but agonistic behavior in natural habitats is often neglected. Laboratory studies do not achieve the same ecological realism as field studies. In an attempt to connect laboratory results to field data and investigate how habitat structure affects agonistic interactions, the nocturnal behavior of two crayfish species was observed by scuba diving and snorkeling in two northern Michigan lakes. Intraspecific agonistic interactions were analyzed in three habitats: two food resources—macrophytes and detritus—and one sheltered habitat. The …

Field Observations Of Intraspecific Agonistic Behavior Of Two Crayfish Species, Orconectes Rusticus And Orconectes Virilis, In Different Habitats, Dan A. Bergman, Paul A. Moore

Peer Reviewed Articles

Agonistic behavior is a fundamental aspect of ecological theories on resource acquisition and sexual selection. Crustaceans are exemplary models for agonistic behavior within the laboratory, but agonistic behavior in natural habitats is often neglected. Laboratory studies do not achieve the same ecological realism as field studies. In an attempt to connect laboratory results to field data and investigate how habitat structure affects agonistic interactions, the nocturnal behavior of two crayfish species was observed by scuba diving and snorkeling in two northern Michigan lakes. Intraspecific agonistic interactions were analyzed in three habitats: two food resources—macrophytes and detritus—and one sheltered habitat. The …