Chapter 17 - Aggregation and Kin Recognition in African Clawed Frogs (Xenopus laevis)

Abstract

This chapter discusses aggregation and kin recognition in African clawed frogs (Xenopus laevis) through a lab experiment. In lab, researchers design experiments to explore kin discrimination and aggregation in African clawed frogs (Xenopus laevis). These anurans are native to sub-Saharan Africa where they generally inhabit stagnant, often murky water Xenopus females lay their eggs individually in separate jelly capsules, rather than enclosing all the eggs in a single mass of jelly as other frogs do. Xenopus tadpoles have been reported to aggregate in the wild. In the laboratory, tadpoles form social aggregations in mid-water as they filter feed in a characteristic posture with their heads angled downward, often all facing the same direction. By schooling, these planktivores (plankton eaters) may generate a common feeding current, which might enable individuals to filter a larger volume of water than they could when feeding alone. Direct tests of this hypothesis are inconclusive but in one study, weight at metamorphosis correlated positively with the rearing density of tadpoles, which suggests that higher densities may confer feeding advantages.