POPULATION DIFFERENCES IN SPATIAL-LEARNING IN 3-SPINED STICKLEBACKS

In a changing environment, learning and memory are essential for an an imal's survival and reproduction. The role played by the environment i n shaping learning and memory is now attracting considerable attention . Until now studies have tended to compare the behaviour of two, or at best a few species, but interspecific comparisons can be misleading a s many life history variables other than environment may differ betwee n species. Here we report on an experiment designed to determine how l earning varies between different populations of the same species, the three-spined stickleback. We found differences between the populations in their ability to solve a spatial task and also in the spatial stra tegies they used. A second simple learning task showed that these diff erences were not the result of gross differences in learning ability o r adaptation to laboratory conditions. We discuss these results and su ggest that the behavioural differences may relate to features of the r espective habitats from which the fish were sampled.