Embryonic visual experience influences post-hatching shelter preference in cuttlefish
Résumé
Newly-hatched cuttlefish can use the same defensive behavior as adults: camouflage and burying. One alternative method involves the use of shelters to avoid potential predators. This behavior, though frequently observed in hatchlings and juveniles, has never been studied in cuttlefish. Here, we shall address the importance of embryonic visual experience on the choice of shelters in hatchlings. For this, we incubated eggs in three different visual environments: (i) with white shelters, (ii) with black shelters, (iii) without shelters. After hatching, the cuttlefish were individually placed in a tank containing both black and white shelters. Both naive cuttlefish and those exposed to black shelters prior to hatching preferred hiding under the black shelters. The cuttlefish exposed to white shelters prior to hatching did not show any preference in shelter color. This study is the first to report the use of shelters in hatchling cuttlefish, their preference regarding black or white shelters, and the influence of embryonic exposure on this preference. Behavioral functions of this kind of embryonic learning are discussed.