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Updated: Jan 14, 2026
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A Whole Mount In Situ Hybridization Method for the Gastropod Mollusc Lymnaea stagnalis
Published on: March 15, 2016
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Not too different: Wild Lymnaea learning at the pondside and in the lab
Jasper Hollings1, Ken Lukowiak2
1Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.
Summary
Wild pond snails (Lymnaea stagnalis) can learn and remember taste aversions, similar to lab conditions. This study shows their natural learning abilities in both pond and lab settings.
Area of Science:
- Ethology
- Animal Behavior
Background:
- Ethology, the study of animal behavior in natural environments, was pioneered by Nobel laureates.
- Conditioned taste aversion involves learning to avoid a substance after a negative experience.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if wild Lymnaea stagnalis exhibit conditioned taste aversion and memory.
- To compare learning and memory formation in natural vs. laboratory settings.
Main Methods:
- Wild Lymnaea stagnalis were trained using a 45-min associative learning period between a stressor and food substance.
- Experiments were conducted both pondside and in a laboratory setting, using natural and artificial pond water.
Main Results:
- Wild Lymnaea stagnalis demonstrated conditioned taste aversion and memory formation.
- Learning and memory capabilities were consistent whether snails were trained at the pondside or in the lab.
Conclusions:
- Wild Lymnaea stagnalis possess significant associative learning and memory capabilities.
- These capabilities are robust across different environmental conditions (natural vs. lab).
