Date of Award

2021

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelors

Department

Natural Sciences

First Advisor

Rycyk, Athena

Area of Concentration

Marine Biology

Abstract

The visual sensory ability of comet goldfish (Carassius auratus) was investigated using operant conditioning for discrimination between gradients of pure blue and pure green light. This study was conducted to further investigate their ability to differentiate between different saturation and hues of color, adding to previous works investigating the color vision from researchers such as Neumeyer and Arnold. The vision of goldfish can be used as a model for other aquatic species, especially teleost fish. Their ability to detect differences in color saturation in a controlled laboratory environment, based on conditioning, can predict how fish in the wild are able to perceive desaturation of their environment from pollution. The results indicate that goldfish are able to differentiate above the chance level of 50% between pure blue and pure green light, with a correctness of 70-80%. In the gradient testing, the colors that are less saturated than the pure colors, the goldfish have less accuracy in their discrimination, at or just below chance level. From this study, evidence can be added to the argument that goldfish can use color to navigate their environment, though they have less ability as the colors become less saturated.

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