1. Schematic diagram of the experimental setup.
Schematic diagram of the experimental setup. During the pre-trial period (top panel), a resident dominant male was housed with two females in the center compartment and separated from a small community (one dominant male, two females) on the left by a transparent barrier. The intruder was housed in the right compartment behind an opaque barrier. At trial onset, an opaque barrier was placed on the left to visually block the community fish, and the intruder was then transferred into the central compartment. Resident males that descended in status (descenders) (middle panel) lost their bright body coloration and performed more submissive behaviors, while the intruder took over the territory and performed dominant behaviors. Resident males that did not descend (non-descenders) (bottom panel) maintained bright coloration and territory ownership while the intruder lost his bright coloration and became subordinate. In procedural control trials (not shown), the barrier was placed on the left to visually block the community fish and a net was dipped into the central compartment but no intruder fish was transferred.
Karen P. Maruska et al. J Exp Biol 2013;216:
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