Salmon fish hatcheries add a harmless perfume (morpholine)to a stream when they release young fish.When the fish mature,they attract them back to the home stream by using this chemical (in nature the fish smell the unique odors of soil and trees along the home stream).In effect,the hatchery biologist is using
A)the fish's inborn instincts to relocate its own stream.
B)a fish's higher order reasoning.
C)an experiment based on the ability of fish to learn by trial and error.
D)chemotropisms.
E)imprinting.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

This technique is using imprinting, which is the process by which an animal develops a strong attachment to a particular object or organism shortly after birth or hatching. In this case, the young salmon are exposed to the morpholine scent in their home stream and imprint on it so that they can later use the scent to locate their home stream as mature fish.

Salmon Fish Hatcheries Add a Harmless Perfume (Morpholine)to a Stream