Diploma thesis - University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna - 2023

Researchers have long been intrigued by the study of animal cognition, aiming to comprehend the cognitive abilities of diverse species and their evolution. Cognition is intricately linked to various ecological factors, with sociality playing a crucial role in shaping the way individuals perceive and interact with their environment. In this paper, we present the results of a field experiment with Neolamprologus pulcher, a species of fish endemic to Lake Tanganyika in Africa. The aim of the study was to investigate the relationship between inhibitory control abilities and group size as a likely proxy for the complexity of the social environment experienced by the fish. The experimental design involved two different tasks: a “control task” and a “treatment task”. The control task allowed the fish unrestricted access to a piece of food placed on a petri dish on the bed of the lake, while the treatment task required the fish to first detour a transparent cylinder to access the food. Our hypotheses were firstly, that the treatment task would result in longer task-solving durations when compared to the simpler control task and secondly, that larger groups would outperform smaller groups when facing the more cognitively challenging treatment task. Our results partially shed light on the complex interplay between group size, treatment, and fish behaviour. However, three out of six predictions did not display results as hypothesised, suggesting the need for more extensive cognition research on N. pulcher in the wild. Overall, our study contributes to a deeper understanding of the connection between cognitive abilities, particularly inhibitory control, and group dynamics in the context of fish behaviour.

Diplomarbeit - Veterinärmedizinische Universität Wien - 2023

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