Despite some insignificant data, we conclude that some behaviors, specifically fanning, satellites submitting to the NMs, and NMs chasing the satellite, are affected by changes in the isotocin, or isotocin antagonist, levels in the ocellated wrasse. With the changing frequency of fanning when treated with isotocin, it appears that isotocin levels have an impact on parental care and investment in the ocellated wrasse. Additionally, multiple interactions with the satellites are affected by isotocin levels and its antagonist, showing its impacts in some social interactions between NMs and satellites. While the isotocin levels in the NMs do not directly impact the behavior of the satellites, it does change how the NMs act, which, in turn, affects how the satellites respond. At this point, we are unsure of how much isotocin levels vary across individual ocellated wrasse, and how much those levels change throughout a day and throughout a mating season, but understanding the fluctuation of isotocin could give a stronger insight into its role in all of the social behaviors of the ocellated wrasse.
Isotocin plays a key role in the social structure of the ocellated wrasse, and through further studies done by Megan and other members of the Alonzo lab, more information about the social structures of the ocellated wrasse will be researched and discovered. Next year, I will be doing a senior thesis project investigating the social behavior of the ocellated wrasse in comparison to the social behavior of other very closely related fish that live in the same environment. With that, in addition to further research, we hope to learn more about how isotocin broadly impacts social behavior in fish, not just in the ocellated wrasse.