Heart rate conditioning to <scp>L</scp>-cysteine and other chemical stimuli in young Atlantic salmon ( Salmo salar )

• Published in: Canadian Journal of Zoology
• Main Authors: Morin, Pierre-Philippe, Dodson, Julian J., Doré, François Y.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Canadian Science Publishing 1987
• Subjects: Animal Science and Zoology; Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics; Atlantic salmon; Salmo salar
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/z87-411; http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/pdf/10.1139/z87-411

As a preliminary step towards the use of natural odorants in laboratory imprinting studies, olfactory learning by young Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar, was assessed by heart rate conditioning to L-cysteine (3.8 × 10 −4 M). Fish were successfully conditioned and decelerated their heart rate to L-cysteine compared with that of a control group tested under random pairing sequences of L-cysteine and an electrical stimulation. The cardiac conditioning response and sensitivity of fish to L-cysteine was unaffected by a procedure of curarization. Cardiac performance of fish conditioned to L-cysteine was also compared with that of other groups of fish exposed to four different odorous substances. The conditioned response increased significantly across trials when morpholine, L-cysteine, or L-phenylalanine was used as the conditioning stimulus, but remained unchanged throughout the experiment in the presence of L-serine or L-threonine.