The Influence of Habitat Complexity on Crayfish Foraging Behavior

I teach an animal behavior course where students conduct independent research projects; however, using live animals for research is challenging at a small university. Often, students choose to conduct a laboratory project over a field project believing that it will be easier to observe animals and control variables, but it can be difficult and expensive to acquire and maintain animals. If students work with vertebrates, there are added complications such as obtaining Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) approval and training. Additionally, following IACUC regulations often involves resources that we do not have. Because of these complications, I suggest to students that they consider an invertebrate species for their projects. In particular, crayfish are a species that are easy to obtain and care for, have low mortality, and exhibit interesting behavior that can be observed over several weeks. This article describes an inquiry-based research activity examining the influence of habitat complexity on crayfish foraging. This activity is well suited for students in ecology, animal behavior, or invertebrate biology classes and gives students flexibility in the hypothesis they test and the methods they use, while providing a framework that lets them successfully complete a behavior project.