Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Fixed Action Patterns

Fixed Action Patterns

A fixed action pattern (FAP) is a specific, hard-wired sequence of behaviors that occurs in response to an external stimulus, called a sign stimulus. The behavior is “fixed” because it is essentially unchangeable—proceeding similarly across individuals of a species every time it occurs.

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Record Carrier Diffusion Lengths in Large, Dense Nonfullerene Electron Acceptor Crystals Grown from Polar Aromatic Solvents.

Journal of the American Chemical Society·2026

Same author

The Impact of Northern Territory Alcohol Policy Changes on Adult Domestic and Family Violence Hospital Admissions.

Drug and alcohol review·2026

Same author

Development, implementation, and evaluation of clinical practice guidelines, protocols, and pathways used in rural and remote Australia, Canada, and Aotearoa New Zealand: a scoping review.

JBI evidence synthesis·2026

Same author

Is Point of Care Three-Dimensional Printing of Polyaryletherketone Triflange Cups Feasible for Revision Total Hip Arthroplasty?

The Journal of arthroplasty·2026

Same author

Author Correction: Ocean heat forced West Antarctic Ice Sheet retreat after the Last Glacial Maximum.

Nature communications·2026

Same author

Risky Drinking in Midlife Men: Insights From Australia's National Drug Strategy Household Survey.

Drug and alcohol review·2026

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 28, 2026

Using the FishSim Animation Toolchain to Investigate Fish Behavior: A Case Study on Mate-Choice Copying In Sailfin Mollies

Using the FishSim Animation Toolchain to Investigate Fish Behavior: A Case Study on Mate-Choice Copying In Sailfin Mollies

Published on: November 8, 2018

Fish attraction to artificial reefs not always harmful: a simulation study.

James A Smith¹, Michael B Lowry², Iain M Suthers¹

¹Evolution and Ecology Research Centre, and School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences University of New South Wales Sydney NSW 2052 Australia ; Sydney Institute of Marine Science Chowder Bay Road Mosman NSW 2088 Australia.

Ecology and Evolution

|December 16, 2015

Summary

Artificial reefs may not always harm fish populations; they can sometimes disperse fish biomass, making them harder to catch. The impact depends on fish species traits like mobility and fidelity.

Keywords:

Biomass redistribution designed reefs fish aggregation fish production fisheries enhancement habitat quality

More Related Videos

Basic Methods for the Study of Reproductive Ecology of Fish in Aquaria

Basic Methods for the Study of Reproductive Ecology of Fish in Aquaria

Published on: July 20, 2017

Coral Reef Arks: An In Situ Mesocosm and Toolkit for Assembling Reef Communities

Coral Reef Arks: An In Situ Mesocosm and Toolkit for Assembling Reef Communities

Published on: January 6, 2023

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Mar 28, 2026

Using the FishSim Animation Toolchain to Investigate Fish Behavior: A Case Study on Mate-Choice Copying In Sailfin Mollies

Using the FishSim Animation Toolchain to Investigate Fish Behavior: A Case Study on Mate-Choice Copying In Sailfin Mollies

Published on: November 8, 2018

Basic Methods for the Study of Reproductive Ecology of Fish in Aquaria

Basic Methods for the Study of Reproductive Ecology of Fish in Aquaria

Published on: July 20, 2017

Coral Reef Arks: An In Situ Mesocosm and Toolkit for Assembling Reef Communities

Coral Reef Arks: An In Situ Mesocosm and Toolkit for Assembling Reef Communities

Published on: January 6, 2023

Area of Science:

Marine ecology
Fisheries science
Habitat modification

Background:

Debate on whether artificial reefs create new fish or attract existing biomass.
Concerns exist regarding artificial reefs as harmful habitat modification.
Attraction of fish biomass to reefs is often perceived as increasing harvestability.

Purpose of the Study:

To simulate the effect of redistributed fish biomass on fishing catch per unit effort (CPUE).
To identify scenarios posing the most risk of exploitation due to artificial reef fish attraction.
To compare model predictions with existing theories on artificial reef impacts.

Main Methods:

Development of a numerical model simulating fish biomass redistribution around artificial reefs.
Analysis of how reef, fish, and harvest characteristics influence CPUE.
Comparison of simulation outcomes with Bohnsack's (1989) predictions.

Main Results:

Artificial reef attraction is not universally harmful; it can sometimes disperse fish biomass, reducing catchability.
Optimal attraction scenarios exist where CPUE is minimized due to balanced biomass distribution.
Species-specific traits, particularly mobility and fidelity, significantly influence the risk of harmful attraction.

Conclusions:

Artificial reefs' impact on fish biomass and harvestability is complex and context-dependent.
Distinguishing between fish "mobility" and "fidelity" is crucial for assessing species vulnerability to artificial reef attraction.
Findings generally align with Bohnsack's predictions but refine the understanding of risk factors.