Is Male Territoriality Influenced by Cover in Betta splendens?
Lonnie Lindberg, Thiel College There are several reasons why animals defend territories. One reason maybe to protect resources. Another is to defend a territory that is attractive to potential mates. A third possibility is that they offer shelter and safety from predators and potential challengers. The Siamese Fighting fish, Betta splendens, is strongly territorial and is an excellent model for testing hypotheses about territoriality. In this study, I compared the aggressiveness of the domesticated male Betta splendens with and without a place of refuge. My hypothesis for this experiment was that male betta fish with a refuge will be more aggressive than those without a refuge. After a dominance hierarchy was established, aggressiveness was determined by counting how many times a male betta attempted to attack another male betta within the three minute time limit. Results showed that there is no clear link between male aggression and a place of refuge. The Influence of Incubation Tempe
