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Behavior Modification of the Elasmobranch Species Southern
Stingray (Dasyatis americana) Using Operant Conditioning
Chris PerkinsMystic Aquarium InternFish and Invertebrate Department
Desired Behavior
To have all three southern stingrays respond to a single discriminative stimulus (SD) by swimming up the side of the tank to receive food at the surface.
Benefits
•Facilitates feeding the southern stingrays
•Desensitizes them to human contact
•Can build other behaviors off of this one
•Disrupted hierarchy among the southern stingrays
The Training Program
3 minute feeding sessions
Up to 2 sessions per day
No less than 1 hour between sessions
Spot light acts as SD
Successive ApproximationsHave the southern stingrays station at the
bottom when given the SD.
Feed the southern stingrays on the side of the tank.
When the southern stingrays are near the surface offer food from hand.
Eventually a pole is not required to bring the southern stingray to the surface to receive food.
Station 1 Station 2a
Station 2b Station 3
Stations 4 &5
Jackpot Rewards System
Southern stingrays were rewarded for coming to the surface by receiving “better”/more food at the surface than on the pole.
Pole: SquidSurface: Fatty Herring
Pole: ¼ of a HerringSurface: Squid/
Fatty Herring
Changes Made to the Program
•Different SD’s
•Different Reward Sizes
•Surface Sessions
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Pe
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Station 1
Station 2
Station 3
Station 4
Station 5
Rewards: Hoover
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Station 1
Station 2
Station 3
Station 4
Station 5
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50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85
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Response: Hoover
1: No Reaction
2: Stationed on bottom
3: Came to Surface
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Pe
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Station 1
Station 2
Station 3
Station 4
Station 5
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50 60 70 80
Pe
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Station 1
Station 2
Station 3
Station 4
Station 5
Rewards: Tomboy
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0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50
Re
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Sesson Number
0
1
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50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85
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nse
Session Number
Response: Tomboy
1: No Reaction
2: Stationed on bottom
3: Came to Surface
0
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20
30
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50
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0 10 20 30 40 50 60
Pe
rce
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Session Number
Station 1
Station 2
Station 3
Station 4
Station 5
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50 60 70 80
Pe
rce
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of R
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Session Number
Station 1
Station 2
Station 3
Station 4
Station 5
Rewards: Roomba
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1
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0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50
Re
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Sesson Number
0
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50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85
Re
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Session Number
Response: Roomba
1: No Reaction
2: Stationed on bottom
3: Came to Surface
Conclusions
2 of 3 southern stingrays successfully exhibit desired behavior
Roomba is making progress to the final goal
Possible altered hierarchy among southern stingrays
Acknowledgements
Mystic Aquarium an Institute For ExplorationJill ReevesThe Marine Theater TrainersSamantha ShannonCris SodergrenMonique ParkMegan PriedeGus Stout
Questions?
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