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Discrimination of random dot texture patterns in bluegill sunfish, Lepomis macrochirus

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Abstract

In order to study the ability of fish to perceive and distinguish textures visually, bluegill sunfish (Lepomis macrochirus) were trained to discriminate between pairs of artificial texture patterns. Random dot patterns with different statistical dot distributions were presented to the fish as artificial texture patterns. The results indicate that bluegills have the ability to discriminate many pairs of patterns with different statistical features of dot distributions which have different appearance in texture. This suggests that texture could be one of the important visual features bluegill sunfish recognize and utilize.

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Bando, T. Discrimination of random dot texture patterns in bluegill sunfish, Lepomis macrochirus . J Comp Physiol A 172, 663–669 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00195392

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