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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Rewards: Hoover

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3: Came to Surface

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Rewards: Tomboy

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Response: Tomboy

1: No Reaction

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3: Came to Surface

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Rewards: Roomba

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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?