Aggression and avoidance by Betta splendens toward natural and artificial stimuli

Abstract

The aggressive display of male Bettas was elicited maximally by another male, followed by a mirror image, a moving model, and a stationary model. The same order of effectiveness obtained regardless of the order of presentation of the stimuli. After a few days' exposure to each stimulus, 1 h per day, the Bettas' aggressive displays declined sharply. This did not represent a loss of attentiveness to the stimulus, but an active avoidance response. It is argued that this and other behaviors classified as "habituation" may profit from further behavioral analysis. © 1975 Psychonomic Society, Inc.