Risk-taking and locomotion in foraging threespine sticklebacks (Gasterosteus aculeatus): the effect of nutritional stress is dependent on social context

Hansen, Matthew J.; Ligocki, Isaac Y.; Zillig, Kenneth W.; Steel, Anna E.; Todgham, Anne E.; Fangue, Nann A.

doi:10.1007/s00265-019-2795-4

Cited by 19 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 56 publications

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“…the growth treatment or the behavioural test) could be unreliable in their effects on the fish, with minor differences having large impacts on their behaviour (see e.g. Hansen et al, 2020). However, if the experiment would be replicated in a different laboratory, then even more subtle differences in experimental design would be expected by necessity (different populations, holding tanks, food source, experimental facilities, etc.).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The start‐box emergence test is commonly applied in animal behaviour experiments and is commonly referred to as measuring “boldness‐like” or “risk‐taking” traits (e.g. Hansen et al, 2020; Näslund et al, 2015). For instance, it is one of the more common tests applied to score boldness in experiments on consistent individual differences and behavioural syndromes in fish (e.g.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Unreplicable state‐dependent effects on start‐box emergence latency in wild‐origin sticklebacks

Näslund

2021

Ethology

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Animals are predicted to adjust their behaviour in relation to their bodily energetic state. Adjustment can be driven by either positive feedbacks (e.g. increased risk‐taking with higher energetic status; “state‐dependent safety”) or negative feedbacks (e.g. reduced risk‐taking with higher status; “asset protection”). This study investigated effects of food restriction and subsequent refeeding on boldness‐like behaviour in three‐spined sticklebacks (Gasterosteus aculeatus) and nine‐spined sticklebacks (Pungitius pungitius). The same experimental design was run in 2 consecutive years, using a start‐box emergence test to score behaviour, aiming for an exact replication in the second year. Results indicate that the results from the original and the replicated experiment did not match. Both years there was support for treatment effects, but the effects were qualitatively and quantitatively different. In 2012, the fish on a continuous high ration had longer emergence times than restricted‐refed fish (suggesting asset protection as the feedback mechanism), while in 2013, this pattern is reversed (suggesting state‐dependent safety as the feedback mechanism). In 2013, the general emergence time was also generally shorter than in 2012. These effects suggest that the methodology used may not be particularly robust. Subject fish were wild‐caught, and differences in the populations across years, or in the individuals' prior experience, may have influenced the results. Alternatively, the start‐box emergence test could be sensitive to minor (unperceived) alterations in procedures. Regardless, the present study suggests that the robustness of the start‐box emergence test, which is a commonly used test (e.g. to score “boldness” in animal personality experiments) needs further investigation. In addition to the behavioural experiment, fish going through the refeeding protocol were shown to have higher body water content than fish on a continuously high food ration in both species. Food restriction also decreased relative liver mass in the short term, but it was restored during refeeding.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Unreplicable state‐dependent effects on start‐box emergence latency in wild‐origin sticklebacks

Näslund

2021

Ethology

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“…Exploring a potential new food source can provide obvious foraging benefits but may expose an individual to potential risk from predation or noxious substances (Lima and Dill 1990). The social environment Communicated by I. Hamilton can play a large role in an individual's motivation to engage with novelty and subsequent learning opportunities (Boogert et al 2006;Mirville et al 2016;Langley et al 2018;Kent et al 2019;Hansen et al 2020). Individuals can be more likely to approach novel foods with conspecifics present (Gómez-Laplaza and Morgan 1986;Sherwin 2003).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Individual behavioural traits not social context affects learning about novel objects in archerfish

Jones

Spence-Jones

Webster

et al. 2021

Behav Ecol Sociobiol

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Learning can enable rapid behavioural responses to changing conditions but can depend on the social context and behavioural phenotype of the individual. Learning rates have been linked to consistent individual differences in behavioural traits, especially in situations which require engaging with novelty, but the social environment can also play an important role. The presence of others can modulate the effects of individual behavioural traits and afford access to social information that can reduce the need for ‘risky’ asocial learning. Most studies of social effects on learning are focused on more social species; however, such factors can be important even for less-social animals, including non-grouping or facultatively social species which may still derive benefit from social conditions. Using archerfish, Toxotes chatareus, which exhibit high levels of intra-specific competition and do not show a strong preference for grouping, we explored the effect of social contexts on learning. Individually housed fish were assayed in an ‘open-field’ test and then trained to criterion in a task where fish learnt to shoot a novel cue for a food reward—with a conspecific neighbour visible either during training, outside of training or never (full, partial or no visible presence). Time to learn to shoot the novel cue differed across individuals but not across social context. This suggests that social context does not have a strong effect on learning in this non-obligatory social species; instead, it further highlights the importance that inter-individual variation in behavioural traits can have on learning. Significance statement Some individuals learn faster than others. Many factors can affect an animal’s learning rate—for example, its behavioural phenotype may make it more or less likely to engage with novel objects. The social environment can play a big role too—affecting learning directly and modifying the effects of an individual’s traits. Effects of social context on learning mostly come from highly social species, but recent research has focused on less-social animals. Archerfish display high intra-specific competition, and our study suggests that social context has no strong effect on their learning to shoot novel objects for rewards. Our results may have some relevance for social enrichment and welfare of this increasingly studied species, suggesting there are no negative effects of short- to medium-term isolation of this species—at least with regards to behavioural performance and learning tasks.

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“…Differences in locomotor capacity between individuals may explain success in scramble competition, although speed may trade off with food detection accuracy [ 3 , 4 ]. However, within a social group, individuals do not necessarily display their maximal physiological capacities, but alter behaviour depending on the social context [ 5 , 6 ]. Hence, locomotor capacity and social status may either independently or interactively determine competitive success in social animals.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Social rank and not physiological capacity determines competitive success in zebrafish (Danio rerio)

2021

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Competition for resources shapes ecological and evolutionary relationships. Physiological capacities such as in locomotor performance can influence the fitness of individuals by increasing competitive success. Social hierarchy too can affect outcomes of competition by altering locomotor behaviour or because higher ranking individuals monopolize resources. Here, we tested the hypotheses that competitive success is determined by sprint performance or by social status. We show that sprint performance of individuals measured during escape responses (fast start) or in an accelerated sprint test did not correlate with realized sprint speed while competing for food within a social group of five fish; fast start and accelerated sprint speed were higher than realized speed. Social status within the group was the best predictor of competitive success, followed by realized speed. Social hierarchies in zebrafish are established within 7 days of their first encounter, and interestingly, there was a positive correlation between social status and realized speed 1 and 4 days after fish were placed in a group, but not after 7 days. These data indicate that physiological performance decreases in importance as social relationships are established. Also, maximal physiological capacities were not important for competitive success, but swimming speed changed with social context.

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Risk-taking and locomotion in foraging threespine sticklebacks (Gasterosteus aculeatus): the effect of nutritional stress is dependent on social context

Cited by 19 publications

References 56 publications

Unreplicable state‐dependent effects on start‐box emergence latency in wild‐origin sticklebacks

Unreplicable state‐dependent effects on start‐box emergence latency in wild‐origin sticklebacks

Individual behavioural traits not social context affects learning about novel objects in archerfish

Social rank and not physiological capacity determines competitive success in zebrafish (Danio rerio)

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