Abstract
Head-bobbing by Aplysia brasiliana occurs during swimming at the water's surface, and is characterized by a bending, stretching, and vertical lifting of the “neck” such that the oral tentacles momentarily emerge at the air—water interface. In the laboratory, animals exhibited progressive increases in head-bobbing frequency as the regularly scheduled daily feeding time approached. To determine if head-bobbing was a function of food deprivation, animals were deprived of food for varying intervals from 0 to 100 hr over 22 days, and food was presented at temporally unpredictable intervals to avoid time-dependent entrainment. The number of head-bobs/60 sec correlated significantly with food deprivation up to 41 hr without food, beyond which time head-bobbing was not observed. Field and laboratory results suggested that head-bobbing is a food-seeking behavior in A. brasiliana , serving as a mechanism to increase the probability of encountering floating and/or surface food.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
