CONSUMMATORY FEEDING-BEHAVIOR TO AMINO-ACIDS IN INTACT AND ANOSMIC CHANNEL CATFISH ICTALURUS-PUNCTATUS

The entire sequence of feeding behavior patterns exhibited by intact a nd anosmic channel catfish to food extracts was also released by singl e amino acids. L-arginine (> 10(-6) M), L-alanine (> 10(-6) M), and L- proline (> 10(-4) M) were each highly effective at releasing consummat ory behavior patterns, such as turning, increasing pumping of water ac ross the gill arches, and biting-snapping. Swallowing required solid o bjects, whereas rhythmic movement of the hyoid was released by > 10(-2 ) M L-arginine alone. For the biting-snapping behavior, the number of bites depended upon both the number of eddies containing the amino aci d above the behavioral threshold concentration and the amino acid appl ied. Multiple eddies of > 10(-3) M L-proline and L-alanine provoked up to 25 bites per test; however, the most effective stimulus for releas ing biting-snapping behavior at low concentrations was L-arginine beha vioral threshold 3 X 10(-7) M). In comparison to 10(-4) M L-alanine an d L-arginine, other amino acids were less effective stimuli.