Social overstimulation reduces subsequent aggression in Betta splendens
Aggressive Behavior, 20 (2):
135--142 (1994)Abstract
Examined the waning of intense aggressive behaviors in 18 pairs of red, male Siamese fighting fish subjected to continuous visual social stimulation. Damaging biting during subsequent fighting was dramatically reduced in Ss that had been surrounded for several weeks by conspecifics, even though the overstimulated Ss performed only opercular and fin displays to the Ss surrounding them. The latency to opercular display was diminished, but the rate once opercular display began was not significantly different. In the 18 encounters observed, a socially overstimulated S never dominated a control S. This result suggests a visually mediated mechanism that reduces biting tendency when there is prolonged, inescapable visual exposure to mildly aggression-releasing stimuli similar to those which trigger biting in live encounters. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2004 APA, all rights reserved)