Influence of Triiodothyronine on Research Behavior of the Threespined Stickleback Gasterosteus aculeatus L. (Gasterosteidae: Osteichthyes)
Thyroid hormones affect many traits in fish biology including behavior. We designed an experiment of thyroid level manipulation in three spined stickleback Gasterosteus aculeatus to test whether thyroid hormones influence on organization of research behavior in fishes. Fish exposed to triiodothyronine solution were significantly divergent from control in an organization of research behavior tested in the cross-shaped maze but not the motor activity. Triiodothyronine exposed sticklebacks preferred to use such behavioral strategies as shuttle movements between corridors of the labyrinth as well as erratic movements that can contribute to the inefficiency of research behavior.