1. Behavioral choice is innate in Macrobdella decora.
Behavioral choice is innate in Macrobdella decora. (A) Macrobdella were fed on either fresh warmed bovine blood (data from Fig. 3) or fresh beef liver. Mechanosensory stimuli were applied to the anterior end of the leech and the percentage of stimuli that elicited shortening is plotted during non-feeding trials and feeding trials. No significant difference in the amount of shortening elicited during feeding was observed between the two groups of animals (P=0.5, 50 liver feeding trials in N=10 leeches and 13 blood feeding trials in N=7 leeches). (B) Macrobdella were stimulated in the midbody region during feeding and non-feeding trials. The percentage of trials resulting in bending and local bending is shown. No statistical difference in bending and local bending was observed between the two groups during feeding (P=0.6, 47 liver feeding trials in N=10 animals and 9 blood feeding trials in N=7 animals). (C) Macrobdella were stimulated in the posterior region during non-feeding and feeding trials. No statistical difference was observed in the percentage of trials resulting in locomotion across the two groups of animals (P=1, 48 liver feeding trials in N=10 animals and 9 blood feeding trials in N=7 animals).
Q. Gaudry et al. J Exp Biol 2010;213:
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