Visual Discrimination Learning in the Small Octopus Octopus ocellatus. (19th May 2014)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Tomita, Mitsuru; Aoki, Setsuyuki; Tregenza, T.
• Is Part Of: Ethology. Volume 120:Number 9(2014:Sep.)
• Page Start: 863
• Page End: 872
• Publication Date: 2014-05-19
• Subjects: Animal behavior -- Periodicals; 591.5
• DOI: 10.1111/eth.12258
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0179-1613

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="main" id="eth12258-abs-0001"> <title>Abstract</title> <p> <italic>Octopus ocellatus</italic> is a small benthic species of octopus that is easy to rear and spawns large eggs during a short life cycle. These and other features of <italic>O. ocellatus</italic> may make it an advantageous subject for a broad range of behavioral studies, including those involving various types of learning. However, no type of learning has been studied in <italic>O. ocellatus</italic>. In a successive visual discrimination task, in which a 'positive' or 'negative' stimulus (white or black rectangle) was presented to a subject octopus and appropriate rewards or punishments were given to the subject, the rate of 'correct' responses (i.e., touches to the positive stimulus or refraining from the negative stimulus) gradually increased. Moreover, 'observer' octopuses that observed another octopus performing a visual discrimination task in which reward was also given to the 'incorrect' responses (touches to the negative stimulus) showed a higher ratio of incorrect responses in their test sessions. These results, coupled with the physical characteristics of <italic>O. ocellatus</italic>, indicate that this species is potentially suitable for neurogenetic and neuroembryological studies of learning.</p> </abstract>