Abstract
Video playback has become an important tool for testing certain questions about animal visual perception. While a few studies have compared the response of test subjects to live and video stimuli, it is generally assumed a priori that the animals will respond to the video image as if it were ‘real’. Since video devices are tuned to the spectral sensitivities and flicker fusion frequencies of the human eye and brain, it is important to conduct preliminary tests to compare the response of test subjects between live and video images. Here we compare schooling behavior of tiger barbs, Puntius tetrazona, when presented with a school of live fish, an analog video school of fish and a video of a computer-animated school of fish. Test subjects did not show a significantly different schooling behavior response to any of these stimuli. Additionally, when given the choice of schooling with a conspecific versus a heterospecific, tiger barbs schooled significantly more often with the conspecifics for all three stimulus formats. This study provides evidence that tiger barbs do not choose to discriminate between live and video models of fish and that this technique can be used to test future questions concerning visual perception for this species.
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.
