Organization of Three-Spined Stickleback Gasterosteus aculeatus L. (Gasterosteidae: Pisces) Exploratory Behavior in a Plus Maze

Abstract

Three-spined sticklebacks of different ages use various simple strategies of exploratory behavior in an unfamiliar plus maze. These strategies involve a specific order of visits to the maze arms and they alternate during maze exploration. One of the strategies (touring) involves sequential visits to the arms during movement in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction. This strategy reduces the probability of returning to recently visited arms, but it does not require memorizing the sequence of arms visited. Another strategy consists of repeated shuttling between any two arms. Random transitions between arms are also observed. These transitions are difficult to explain within the concept of a specific simple strategy. An analysis of maze exploration strategies is proposed for comparative studies of behavioral organization in organisms of different taxonomic levels occupying different ecological niches.