The comparative toxicity of Ariid and Ictalurid catfish stings and a quantitative assessment of their protective function
Date
1968
Authors
Birkhead, William Stuart, 1941-
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Description
This study concerns my analysis of the venom apparatus of catfishes belonging to the families of Ictaluridae and Ariidae. My initial objectives were to confirm experimentally the belief that catfish stings (the principal components of the venom apparatus) were toxic, and to clarify the manner in which the venom apparatus functioned. These results are presented in the first section of this report, in which the biological significance of these stings is also considered. I subsequently presented catfish to piscivorous bass and watersnakes. In the second section of this report, I have appraised my observations of the predators' behavioral responses