Using information theory to assess dynamics, structure, and organization of crayfish agonistic repertoire.

Information theory measures provided useful quantitative tools for describing the transfer of information in interacting pairs of the eastern white-river crayfish, Procambarus acutus acutus, and furnished hints for deciphering the dynamics, structure, and organization of the agonistic repertoire in this species. As a confirmation of the predictive and heuristic potentials of the theory, results suggested hypotheses on the mechanisms underlying the formation and maintenance of dominance hierarchies in crayfish and indicated the directions that future developments of the research should follow.