Individual consistency and context dependence in group-size preference of Eurasian perch

Area of Science:

• Ethology
• Animal Behavior
• Fish Ecology

Background:

• Many fish species exhibit social behavior, forming groups whose size impacts survival and resource acquisition.
• Group size preference can be influenced by individual personality traits, with social fish potentially preferring larger aggregations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate context-dependent group size preferences in young Eurasian perch (Perca fluviatilis).
• To examine the influence of feeding and shelter availability on social behavior.
• To assess the relationship between sociability, boldness, and individual consistency in social behavior.

Main Methods:

• Presenting young Eurasian perch with a choice between a small (2) and large (8) group of conspecifics.
• Implementing three experimental conditions: feeding, access to shelter, and a control.
• Quantifying perch association time with each group size across conditions.

Main Results:

• Perch generally preferred larger groups but avoided them when food was present in smaller groups.
• Access to shelter did not significantly alter group size preference compared to control conditions.
• Consistent individual differences in social attraction were context-specific, and sociability did not correlate with boldness.

Conclusions:

• Environmental context critically influences social behavior and group size preference in obligate social fish.
• Sociability as a personality trait is complex and demonstrates context-dependent consistency in Eurasian perch.
• The study reveals a lack of a behavioral syndrome between sociability and boldness in the studied perch populations.