ROTATIONAL SWIMMING PREFERENCES IN MOSQUITOFISH - EVIDENCE FOR BRAIN LATERALIZATION

Rotational preferences of mosquitofish (Gambusia holbrooki) were inves tigated in circular tanks with a group of females or a group of predat ors located at the centre, or during spontaneous swimming in absence o f any particular target. Mosquitofish swam preferentially clockwise in presence of the predators, whilst no significant preferences appeared with the females or during spontaneous swimming. Similar rotational b iases have been reported previously only for rodents and marine mammal s: the present findings suggest that even teleost fish may possess lat eralized brains. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Inc.