Resurgence in Siamese fighting fish, Betta splendens.

Area of Science:

• Behavioral Psychology
• Animal Behavior
• Comparative Psychology

Background:

• Behavioral resurgence, the return of previously reinforced behavior, is a well-documented phenomenon.
• This phenomenon is typically studied in rodents and has rarely been observed with non-consumable reinforcers or in fish species.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the occurrence of behavioral resurgence in male Siamese fighting fish (Betta splendens).
• To determine if resurgence occurs following the removal of a non-consumable reinforcer (mirror presentations).

Main Methods:

• Siamese fighting fish were trained to swim through a ring for mirror presentations under either a fixed-ratio 1 or variable-interval 60-s schedule.
• A differential-reinforcement-of-other-behavior schedule was implemented, followed by extinction (removal of mirror presentations).
• The frequency of the ring-swim response was monitored throughout all phases.

Main Results:

• Transient increases in the ring-swim response were observed during the extinction phase, indicating resurgence.
• The pattern of resurgence was similar for fish previously exposed to both fixed-ratio and variable-interval schedules.
• This is the first report of resurgence in Siamese fighting fish and with this specific response topography.

Conclusions:

• Behavioral resurgence is a robust phenomenon that extends to Siamese fighting fish.
• The findings support the generality of resurgence across different species and reinforcement schedules, even with non-consumable reinforcers.