Chemical detection of "self" and conspecifics by crayfish.

Stimulus waters were used to examine behaviorally chemical communication in female crayfishProcambarus clarkii. Animals detected conspecifics. Response to stimulus water drawn from the animal's own tank, "self " water, mimicked either response to distilled water or response to water drawn from the tank of another animal. The response to "self" water depended on the relative concentration of substance(s) in "self" water stimuli to that of the same substance(s) in the test animal's tank.