• Media type: E-Article
  • Title: Why Mudskippers Build Walls
  • Contributor: Clayton, D.A.
  • imprint: Brill, 1987
  • Published in: Behaviour
  • Language: Not determined
  • DOI: 10.1163/156853986x00117
  • ISSN: 0005-7959; 1568-539X
  • Keywords: Behavioral Neuroscience ; Animal Science and Zoology
  • Origination:
  • Footnote:
  • Description: <jats:sec><jats:title>Abstract</jats:title><jats:p>The proximate mechanisms of territorial behaviour in Boleophthalmus boddarti, an amphibious gobiid mudskipper that builds and maintains polygonal mud-walled territories provides a good example of the elastic disc concept of territories. The occurrence of wall building is density dependent and a contiguous mosaic of territories is only produced at high fish densities. Wall removal and replacement experiments show that the mud-wall acts as a visual barrier and reduces aggression between neighbouring territorial fish.</jats:p> </jats:sec>