Sex tremendously impacts the nervous system, leading to sex-specific social behaviors. C. elegans are hermaphroditic nematodes with two sexes: males and self-fertilizing hermaphrodites. Males and hermaphrodites contain fewer than 400 neurons, which have been well annotated and studied. The small numbers of neurons provide an excellent opportunity to learn the fundamental principles of neural networks underlying various cognitive functions and behaviors.

Researchers have developed many behavioral assays to study neural functions underlying motivations, learning, memory, and social behaviors in hermaphrodites. Recently, studies have shifted to sexually dimorphic behaviors in C. elegans males, for males behave drastically differently compared to hermaphrodites even though they contain many sex-shared neurons in the nervous system. With sexually dimorphic circuits, males can display male-specific behaviors, such as mate searching, mate choice, and mating behaviors. Importantly, these behaviors open avenues to study the neural basis for sexually dimorphic controls of motivation, learning, and memory. Hence, there is a need to develop methods for investigating complex neural mechanisms underlying male-specific behaviors in this rapidly growing research field.

This Methods Collection aims to collect behavioral assays for studying the neural basis of male-specific behaviors in C. elegans males. This collection will provide valuable sources and a convenient toolbox for researchers to learn how to conduct behavioral assays with C. elegans males.