PHEROMONES LINKED TO SEXUAL BEHAVIORS EXCITE THE APPETITIVE PHASE OF FEEDING-BEHAVIOR OF APLYSIA-FASCIATA - I - MODULATION AND EXCITATION OF APPETITIVE BEHAVIORS

Pheromones presumably secreted by mating conspecifics - as well as hom ogenates containing tissue that is homologous with the atrial gland - increase the time that Aplysia fasciata spend feeding. This effect is caused by increasing the number of feeding episodes initiated in respo nse to food, whereas the duration of a feeding bout remains unchanged. The increase in the number of feeding episodes is related to increase s in head waving and crawling, i.e., appetitive movements that bring t he animal into contact with food, as well as an increase in the respon siveness to food after it is contacted. Releasing a homogenate contain ing atrial gland tissue, or egg laying hormone, in the water near the animal elicited head lifting similar to that seen when animals are foo d aroused. The data indicate that the facilitation of Aplysia feeding caused by pheromones arises in part by an excitation of appetitive beh aviors. These findings suggest that neurons generating appetitive beha viors will be affected by pheromones.