The benefit of "In Situ" observation:
To the uninitiated, in situ study of a small cryptic fish in a cold, low visibility lake may seem a somewhat unattractive task. The under water environment is stressful to the diver and even just locating the highly camouflaged subject can be a challenge; let alone diving repeatedly and remaining long enough to make meaningful observations. The question might then be asked: " Why observe the fish in those conditions when it can more easily be studied back in the lab"?
Along with the well documented general benefits that arise from observation "in place", several have become apparent specifically in regards to Cottus aleuticus cultus population. These include:
Lastly, it is possible to see directly, how external forces are effecting both the fish and its habitat, and by observing current fish/habitat interactions, gaining a certain understanding as to whether the fish may be able to adapt to those changes.
Along with the well documented general benefits that arise from observation "in place", several have become apparent specifically in regards to Cottus aleuticus cultus population. These include:
- Realizing the large physical expanse that the fish inhabits and how behaviors could be conditioned because of it. One can observe the fish displaying the full extent of its behavior without artificial territorial constraint.
- Close examination of the benthic substrate (which cannot easily be recovered from depth intact) and seeing how its physical make up facilitates certain behaviors.
- Identifying other flora/fauna that exist within the fishes habitat that may be unknown (either by form or quantity) and gaining insight into the interplay between species.
- Observing how the Pygmy Sculpin's primary predators seek out their prey and how the sculpin may have adapted certain behaviors to either avoid or respond to those predatory pressures, unique to it's environ. One can also begin to understand how other fish of the same genus may not have the same ability to evade predation there.
Lastly, it is possible to see directly, how external forces are effecting both the fish and its habitat, and by observing current fish/habitat interactions, gaining a certain understanding as to whether the fish may be able to adapt to those changes.
Behavior is shaped by the setting in which it occurs and for many Pygmy Sculpin behaviors, it is the scale and nature of its natural habitat that both shapes that behavior and poses the problem of clinical observation. It is simply not practically possible to replicate the size, composition, diversity or species interplay that occur within the Pygmy Sculpin's habitat within a traditional laboratory setting. As a result, to truly understand how the Cultus Pygmy Sculpin behaves in nature, observations need to be made in that setting.