PART I 



BACKGROUND, AND SUM^JARY OF RESULTsi/ 



by 



Albert L, Tester 

 Professor of Zoology 

 University of Hawaii 



INTRODUCTION 



At the instigation of Co E, Sette, Director j, Pacific Oceanic 

 Fishery Investigations^ an agreement concerning a study of the reac- 

 tions of tuna to stimuli was completed between the United States 

 Department of the Interior^ Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Univer- 

 sity of Hawaii^ Honolulu j, To Ho^ on January 19 j 1951 (Contract No. 

 I6fw-1333l)„ The agreement called for "(a) the search of the litera- 

 ture on tuna reactions^ (b) the development of methods for holding 

 and caring for the various species in captivityj and (c) the study of 

 reaction of the fish, individually and in groups or schools, to stimu- 

 li such as lightj sound, chemicals and electricitys with emphasis on 

 the study of stimuli and reactions which promise to have application 

 to fishing operations," 



A sear^ch of the literature failed to reveal any papers dealing 

 directly with the reactions of tuna to stimuli. However^ many refer- 

 ences to the reactions of both freshwater and marine fish to stimuli 

 of various kinds were obtained. These are on file at the Department 

 of Zoology and Entomology 5, University of Hawaii o 



Moderate success was encountered in establishing tuna and other 

 fish in captivity. This has been dealt vath m a separate publica- 

 tion (Tester 1952), 



The papers which follow in this report deal wxth the congjletion 

 of the third part of the contract, insofar as tinie and fxmds were 

 available during the period of one yearo 



We wish to express our sincere thanks to Oo Eo Sette, Director, 

 and to Dr, J, L, Kask and Dro W, F, Royce, Pacific Oceanic Fishery 

 Investigations, for their helpful suggestions and assistanceo We are 

 also indebted to Dr<, R, Wc Hiatt, Director^ Hawaii Marine Laboratory, 

 for general advice and assistance. 



V Contribution No, 22 of the Hawaii Marine Laboratory^ University of 

 Hawaii 



