Group-level matching behavior in phototaxis of acoel flatworm, Praesagittifera naikaiensis

The matching law, which posits that animals allocate their responses in proportion to the rate of reinforcement, has been supported across diverse animal taxa. Although originally formulated in the context of operant choice, matching also applies to time allocation in foraging and to Pavlovian responses, indicating its generality across behavioral domains. However, empirical evidence has thus far been largely limited to vertebrates and arthropods. Addressing the broader applicability of this principle requires extending investigations beyond these taxonomic groups, across a wider phylogenetic spectrum. Here, we examined phototactic behavior in the acoel flatworm Praesagittifera naikaiensis , a species that acquires nutrients through photosynthesis by symbiotic algae and exhibits positive phototaxis. Using a custom-designed T-maze in which the number of illuminated LEDs varied across arms, we found that the animals distributed themselves in proportion to relative brightness, consistent with matching behavior. Moreover, prior exposure to light for twenty-four hours attenuated this pattern. This manipulation was intended to induce a state of nutritional sufficiency, and the resulting decline in phototactic responses suggests that internal physiological states can modulate even seemingly reflexive locomotor behaviors.