A. Bisazza et al., DETOUR TESTS REVEAL TASK-SPECIFIC AND STIMULUS-SPECIFIC BEHAVIORAL LATERALIZATION IN MOSQUITOFISH (GAMBUSIA-HOLBROOKI), Behavioural brain research, 89(1-2), 1997, pp. 237-242
We studied detour responses of male mosquitofish faced with a vertical
-bar barrier through which a group of females was visible. Mosquitofis
h showed a consistent population bias to detour the barrier preferenti
ally leftwise when a straight barrier was used, whilst the asymmetry d
isappeared if a U-shaped barrier was used. The leftward bias was appar
ent even when using a simulated-predator as a target (which induced de
tour behaviour for predatory-inspection responses), but not when using
an empty environment or a group of males as a target. Moreover, when
faced with an opaque barrier, mosquitofish tended to turn on their rig
ht side. These lateral biases could be accounted for in terms of a rig
ht eye preference during lateral (monocular) fixation of any stimulus
of interest, suggesting functional lateralization in a teleost species
for the analysis of visual information. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science B.V
.