Abstract
Behavioural plasticity in Actinia equina (L.) was examined in experimental contests using a range of pedal disc colour phenotypes, which characterize 3 known, ecologically distinct morphs. With repeated pairing of individuals in auto-phenotypic encounters, habituation was easily induced in the 2 mid-shore morphs, but was not obvious in the less aggressive, low-shore form. Subsequent pairing with a different partner revealed that anemones remained aggressive towards a novel opponent. Following novel contact, repairing of the dark red pedal phenotype with the original partner provided some evidence of retention of habituation to a previous opponent, and thus of a specific inducible memory.
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© 1991 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht
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Brace, R.C., Santer, SJ. (1991). Experimental habituation of aggression in the sea anemone Actinia equina . In: Williams, R.B., Cornelius, P.F.S., Hughes, R.G., Robson, E.A. (eds) Coelenterate Biology: Recent Research on Cnidaria and Ctenophora. Developments in Hydrobiology, vol 66. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-3240-4_75
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-3240-4_75
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