Cellular and Integrative Physiology Seminar Series - Susan Greene, PhD

Title: What's in a Tail: Characterizing Aggressive Responding as it Relates to Phenotype in Betta splendens

Summary: The domestication of the Betta splendens for aquaculture has produced an array of phenotype options for pet owners. However, the commercial breeding of these fish started by breeding them for fighting arenas in Thailand, the fish's native country, before being taken over by the pet trade.

This has led to changes in their natural behavior based on selective breeding over time, which can eventually cause the domestic species to no longer resemble the wild type it originated from or other breeds of the same species. This project tests the hypothesis that selective breeding of Betta splendens has led to differences in courting and aggressive behaviors between the different tail fin types. 3 common phenotypes of Betta splendens were obtained from the local pet store: Veiltail, Crowntail, and Halfmoon, which were tested in an alleyway maze for aggression after courting with a female.

These videos were coded for five behaviors related to courting and aggression: Gill Flaring, Lateral Displaying, Fin Spreading, Biting and Tail Beating, to compare the behaviors between phenotypes. Overall, Veiltail's showed the most robust aggressive behaviors and the fastest latency compared to the other phenotypes.