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Submissive behaviour is affected by group size in a social fish
Chelsie Hirons-Major1, Tommaso Ruberto1, William T Swaney1
1School of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, UK.
Royal Society Open Science
|July 30, 2024
Summary
Group size influences how subordinate animals respond to aggression. In larger social groups, fish are less likely to flee and more likely to use other conflict avoidance behaviors.
Area of Science:
- Ethology
- Animal Behavior
- Social Ecology
Background:
- Stable social groups require conflict management strategies.
- Submissive behaviors, such as fleeing or signalling, are crucial for resolving conflict.
- Group size is a significant social factor influencing animal interactions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between social group size and submissive behaviors.
- To examine how group size affects conflict coping strategies in cooperatively breeding fish.
Main Methods:
- Observational study of the daffodil cichlid (Neolamprologus pulcher).
- Comparison of submissive behaviors (fleeing, submission signals, digging) in different group sizes.
- Analysis of subordinate responses to dominant aggression across varying group sizes.
Main Results:
- Subordinate daffodil cichlids exhibited similar levels of submission signals regardless of group size.
- Subordinates in larger groups were less likely to flee from dominant aggression compared to those in smaller groups.
- Fish in larger groups displayed increased digging behavior, potentially as a conflict avoidance strategy.
Conclusions:
- Social context, specifically group size, significantly impacts submissive behavior in cooperatively breeding fish.
- Animals adapt their conflict resolution strategies based on the social environment.
- Group living influences the repertoire of submissive behaviors used to maintain social cohesion.
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