Date of Award

2010

Publication Type

Master Thesis

Degree Name

M.Sc.

Department

Biological Sciences

Keywords

Biology, Neuroscience.

Supervisor

Zielinski, Barbara (Biological Sciences)

Rights

info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess

Abstract

Auditory and olfactory signaling can be used in courtship and mating. In some fish species, the signaler is the male and the female needs to receive the signals to respond. In some species of fish, the female has an increased receptiveness for the male's call and/or pheromones when reproductive and this receptiveness decreases after the breeding season. In the round goby, Neogobius melanostomus, the male readies a nest and when reproductive, produces a call and pheromones to attract females. The two main objectives of this thesis were to determine the female's behavioural response to a reproductive male's call and pheromones over the breeding season and to determine if integration of these two sensory systems was occurring in the brain. These two objectives were accomplished through behavioural trials and tract tracing experiments. This multidisciplinary approach gives an overall better view of reproductive female behaviour and brain integration in this species.

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