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Submissive behavior is affected by territory structure in a social fish
Tommaso Ruberto1, William T Swaney1, Adam R Reddon1
1School of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Liverpool John Moores University, 3 Byrom Street, Liverpool L3 3AF, UK.
Current Zoology
|December 16, 2024
Summary
The physical environment influences social behavior in fish. More shelters in daffodil cichlid territories reduced subordinate submission and fleeing, while increasing dominant aggression.
Area of Science:
- Ethology
- Animal Behavior
- Ecology
Background:
- Group living necessitates conflict management for social cohesion.
- Submission signals are crucial adaptations for subordinates to avoid costly aggressive encounters and maintain social hierarchy.
- The physical environment, particularly the availability of refuges, can influence the effectiveness of submission and avoidance behaviors.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how ecological context, specifically environmental complexity, affects the expression of submission in subordinate daffodil cichlids (Neolamprologus pulcher).
- To determine the impact of shelter availability on social interactions and conflict management between dominant and subordinate individuals.
Main Methods:
- Experimental manipulation of shelter number within daffodil cichlid territories.
- Observation and scoring of social and cooperative behaviors between dominant and subordinate individuals across different environmental conditions.
- Analysis of submission, fleeing, and aggressive behaviors in relation to environmental complexity.
Main Results:
- Subordinate daffodil cichlids exhibited reduced submission and fleeing behaviors in more structurally complex environments (i.e., with more shelters).
- Dominant individuals displayed increased aggression towards subordinates when a greater number of shelters were present.
- Environmental complexity significantly modulated social interactions and conflict management strategies within the fish groups.
Conclusions:
- The physical environment plays a critical role in shaping social interactions and the use of submission signals in group-living animals.
- Increased environmental complexity can alter the balance of power and the expression of dominance and submission behaviors.
- Findings have implications for understanding social dynamics in natural habitats and for the welfare of captive social cichlid populations.
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