Telencephalic lesions and behavior in the teleost Macropodus opercularis (L.): effects of telencephalon and olfactory bulb ablation on spawning and foamnest building

Behavior during 5-day spawning trials of intact, sham-operated, olfactory bulb-ablated, and telencephalon-ablated male paradise fish, Macropodus opercularis, was investigated. Spawning and nestbuilding were eliminated in the telencephalon-ablated males and unimpaired in the sham-operated and olfactory bulb-ablated individuals. Telencephalon ablation resulted in decreased frequencies of frontal display, attack, and bubble blowing and differences in the probability of certain behavior sequences. The data indicate that the block of reproduction is a result of interference with nonolfactory functions of the telencephalon.