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Competitive growth in a social fish
Cymone Reed1, Rebecca Branconi1, John Majoris1
1Department of Biology, Boston University , 5 Cummington Mall, Boston, MA 02215 , USA.
Biology Letters
|April 9, 2019
Summary
Clown anemonefish exhibit competitive growth, increasing their size when paired with a rival. This social response demonstrates plastic growth strategies in fish, similar to mammals.
Area of Science:
- Behavioral Ecology
- Animal Behavior
- Fish Biology
Background:
- Dominance hierarchies are common in animal societies, often correlating with individual size.
- In social vertebrates, growth can be a plastic response to the social environment, influencing rank.
- Mammals may increase growth rates to achieve dominance (competitive growth), while some fish may reduce growth to remain subordinate.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if the clown anemonefish (Amphiprion percula) exhibits competitive growth.
- To determine if social competition influences growth rate and size in juvenile clownfish.
Main Methods:
- Juvenile clownfish were paired with a size-matched rival or kept solitary as controls.
- Growth rates and final sizes of paired and solitary fish were compared.
- Food availability was kept constant for both groups.
Main Results:
- Paired juvenile clownfish showed increased growth rates and larger sizes compared to solitary controls.
- This enhanced growth occurred despite identical food rations between groups.
- Clownfish demonstrated an ability to accelerate growth in response to social competition.
Conclusions:
- Clown anemonefish exhibit competitive growth, a strategy previously observed in mammals.
- Social environment significantly influences growth plasticity in fish.
- This study contributes to understanding how social vertebrates fine-tune growth in response to competition.
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