Benhaïm David, Ferrari Sébastien, Colchen Tatiana, Chatain Béatrice, Bégout Marie-Laure
Laboratoire universitaire des sciences appliquées de Cherbourg, Normandie Univ, UNICAEN, LUSAC, 50100, Cherbourg, France.
Conservatoire National des Arts et Métiers. Intechmer, 50100, Cherbourg, France.
Learn Behav. 2017 Sep;45(3):276-286. doi: 10.3758/s13420-017-0266-1.
Fish learning and cognition are usually approached by testing single individuals in various devices such as mazes that have serious drawbacks, especially in gregarious species, including the stress induced by the test procedure. This might impair the results and lead to misinterpretation about the learning abilities of the targeted species. In order to provide an alternative to the individual-based tests, we investigated for the first time the operant conditioning of four similar groups (50 individuals per tank) of sea bass. We used two computerized self-feeder devices per tank, each coupled with individual electronic identification and that were alternately activated during varying positive appetitive reinforcement period of time (7 to 1 day). Learning abilities were examined at both group and individual levels. At the group level, the operant conditioning was demonstrated as the triggering activity significantly decreased when the device was turned off and increased when it was turned on, whatever the reinforcement period duration. The individual level analysis revealed a more complex situation with fish showing different learning performances that can be best explained through the producer-scrounger game theory.
鱼类学习和认知通常通过在各种装置（如迷宫）中测试单个个体来进行研究，但这些方法存在严重缺陷，特别是对于群居物种，包括测试过程所引发的压力。这可能会损害测试结果，并导致对目标物种学习能力的误解。为了提供一种基于个体测试的替代方法，我们首次对四组相似的海鲈（每组50条，饲养在一个水箱中）进行了操作性条件反射研究。每个水箱使用两个计算机控制的自动喂食装置，每个装置都与个体电子识别系统相连，并在不同的正向食欲强化时间段（7至1天）内交替激活。我们在群体和个体层面上对学习能力进行了检测。在群体层面上，无论强化时间段的持续时间如何，当装置关闭时触发活动显著减少，而当装置打开时触发活动增加，这证明了操作性条件反射的存在。个体层面的分析揭示了一个更为复杂的情况，鱼类表现出不同的学习表现，这可以通过生产者 - 窃取者博弈理论得到最好的解释。
