2.1 Fish Husbandry
Juvenile-stage cichlids were purchased and housed in 40-gallon glass
aquaria at ~28°C on a 14hr light/10hr dark cycle. Each
aquarium was part of a recirculating system, with automated daily water
changes and chemical dosing to ensure consistent water quality.
Juvenile-stages were chosen to mitigate the confounding effects of
dominance. It is also the period of development when all bony elements
have formed but animals are still actively growing (Fujimura and Okada,
2007; 2008a; 2008b). Cichlid husbandry follows a protocol approved by
the institutional animal care and use committee at the University of
Massachusetts.