Telencephalic lesions and behavior in the teleost, Macropodus opercularis: Further analysis of reproductive and operant behavior in the male

Abstract

Ablation of the telencephalic hemispheres blocked reproductive behavior and decreased the rate of operant responding for conspecific visual reinforcement. Repeated administration of operant conditioning sessions for 4 weeks following the ablation resulted in a partial recovery of the operant rate but not of reproductive behavior. Social isolation, which increases reactivity in Macropodus, had no significant effect on the operant rate in sham-operated or lesioned males. Lesioning resulted in a significant reduction of testes weight and the gonadosomatic index in 8 weeks.