RESULTS

As a result of many years investigations conducted in this laboratory the theory of feeding-defensive behavior was developed, which allowed to formulate concept of "triotroph". Fundamental regularities of vertical migrations of marine organisms and their rhythmic activity (diurnal, seasonal, and tidal) were determined.

These investigations have received further development in detailed analysis of feeding behavior. The effects of visual heterogeneity of the environment on fish feeding activity were studied. The study of fish social structures was very helpful for the understanding of ecological and evolutional aspects of fish behavior. Based of mechanisms of forming and functioning of fish shoals the adaptive significance of superorganismic aggrigations of fish was established and the the theory of fish shoaling behavior was formulated. Also the role of social learning of young fish in shoals and family groups was revealed. The progress made in synecology has defined the urgency of expansion of ethological analyses down to communities of integrated native complexes. In this direction, the laboratory conducted research on the organization of nearshore communities of marine fishes.

Extensive study of fish behavior in a water flow allowed to develop the theory of fish migrations in inland water bodies The main stereotypes of behavioral reactions of fish to water currents and their mechanisms were determined. A special attention in works of laboratory is given to young fish downstream migrations. The main patterns of this phenomenon, its behavioral and biochemical mechanisms, and its relation to distribution of young fish in reservoirs were studied. It has been shown, that migrations integrated by systems of water currents into migrational rings are the most important element in the reproduction of fish populations.

The ecological role of electric fields of natural and anthropogenous origin has been studied by a specialized group of researches working in this laboratory since 1986. Bionics modeling is used to analyze the electroorientational systems of fish. The patterns of electrogeneration and electroperception of hydrobionts are investigated. This research allowed significally expand the list of electric fishes, to establish correlation between electric generation and specific behavioral reactions and the patterns of electric discharges, the structure and innervation of electric organs.

Modern problems of the evolutionary theory are reflected in works of the laboratory. Significant results in this direction were obtained during the study of the evolution of fish reproductive behavior, in particular the behavior of fish in family groups. Possible scenario of the evolution of some components of fish reproductive behavior was proposed.

The research of social and reproductive behavior of fish allowed to develop new ways for the testing of fish behavior and new methods of complex analysis of ethological data. The analysis of the relationship between the temperament of fish and some characteristics of their behavior during parental care and selective choice of partners for spawning was carried out. It was shown, that temperament in fish significantly determined alternative strategies of their life history.

The theory of comparative ethology of fish communities is continuously developed.

The applied developments of the laboratory are widely used for protection and reproduction of fish populations and for rational use of fish resources. They allowed to find the key causes of exhaustion of fish resources in the basins of some important regions of commercial fishery and to give recommendations for the resolution of regional ecological problems. Studying coral reef fish communities allowed to develop original methods for rapid assessment of quality of their environment. Bionics modeling of electrocommunicational systems of fish allowed to design devices for underwater bilateral speech communication, commands and data transmission, fishing gear condition. The laboratory participated in the development of fish passage and protection constructions for conservation of fish resources in regulated water bodies. Ecological methods for the prevention of fish from entering into water intakes, and methods for the assessment of fish loss during their passage through turbines of hydroelectric power stations were developed.