The yabbies in our school aquarium make suitable subjects for a study of animal behaviour. Can you classify yabby behaviour according the following:
- feeding
- maintenance
- territorial
- agressive
- defensive
- co-operative
- reproductive
- parenting
Which are learned behaviours and which are innate? How are each of these behaviours important to the survival of the yabby as a species? How do you think the behaviour of the yabby is modified by being confined to an aquarium? Can you observe yabbies communicating with each other?
Department of Primary Industries Aquaculture fact sheet: “Biology of Yabbies (Cherax destructor)”
Animal behaviour experiment with yabbies: “Agonistic behaviour in Crayfish”