FORM AND FUNCTION OF HABITUATION AND SENSITIZATION OF MALE COURTSHIP IN THE 3-SPINED STICKLEBACK (GASTEROSTEUS-ACULEATUS L.)

A model female stickleback presented to a territorial male with a nest usually results in the male courting the model with a series of zigza g movements followed by a leading to the nest entrance. Following such a display, a live gravid female might follow, enter the nest, spawn a nd leave permitting the male to fertilize the eggs. Frequently, howeve r, the female is not ready to spawn, and the male continues to court u ntil, at some point, he ceases courting that female at least for a sho rt period of time and directs his attention to another female. We prop ose that mechanisms involved in the modulation of this behavior may in clude habituation and sensitization in a way that is analogous to that apparently involved in territorial aggression and predation. This stu dy demonstrates that habituation and sensitization do influence the be havioral decrement and reinstatement respectively of male courtship of a female model, and it may be that the stickleback uses habituation a s one means of curtailing courtship towards unresponsive females, thus conserving energy and permitting redeployment of attention to other, possibly more responsive, females.