Cue-based and algorithmic learning in common carp: A possible link to stress coping style

Mesquita, Flavia Oliveira; Borçato, Fábio Luiz; Huntingford, Felicity A.

doi:10.1016/j.beproc.2015.02.017

Cited by 34 publications

(28 citation statements)

References 27 publications

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“…Previous works on fish have reported the existence of individual differences in the strategy adopted to solve numerical and nonnumerical discriminations (Agrillo et al 2009;Mesquita et al 2015;. Accordingly, a possible explanation to our results is that individual guppies used different strategies to discriminate quantity, such as relying on numbers, cumulative surface area, or activity of the shoals (Agrillo et al 2008;Gómez-Laplaza and Gerlai 2012;Gómez-Laplaza and Gerlai 2013).…”

Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 56%

Individual guppies differ in quantity discrimination performance across antipredator and foraging contexts

Lucon‐Xiccato

Dadda

2016

Behav Ecol Sociobiol

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The ability to discriminate between different quantities is useful to an animal since it allows adaptive decisions in several contexts. In humans, some individuals are generally better at solving different numerical and mathematical problems, but we currently ignore whether other species also show individual differences in quantitative abilities across different contexts. Aiming to investigate this possibility, we observed the performances of individual guppies (Poecilia reticulata) in an antipredator task that required the discrimination between shoals made of a different number of conspecifics (4 versus 6 fish) and, successively, in two foraging tasks that required the discrimination between different numbers of food items (4 versus 6 items) and food items with different sizes (0.67 ratio between the two surface areas). Overall, guppies achieved comparable performances in the discrimination of shoal size and food item size, but showed reduced accuracy in the discrimination between different numbers of food items. Performances of guppies were correlated between the discrimination of shoal size and food item size, suggesting the existence of individual differences in quantity discrimination abilities in different contexts in this species. Unexpectedly, this relationship was negative, and some guppies were better in the antipredator task, while others were better in the foraging task. Our results agree with the general trend of the literature on animals that suggests the existence of multiple cognitive functions whose activation are task specific, and also introduce the possibility that some of these functions are subject to constraints. Significance statementIn this work, we provided the first clear evidence of individual differences in the ability to solve quantity discriminations in a fish. Guppies were observed in three quantity discrimination tasks: recognising and joining the larger shoal of conspecifics among two options, a behaviour that confers protection from predators; selecting the larger number of food items between two sets; and selecting the food item with larger size. Guppies that were more accurate in the shoal size discrimination achieved lower scores in the food item size discrimination. Some individuals gain advantage from cognitive abilities that confer defence against predators, while other individuals from those abilities that improve foraging success.

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Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 56%

Individual guppies differ in quantity discrimination performance across antipredator and foraging contexts

Lucon‐Xiccato

Dadda

2016

Behav Ecol Sociobiol

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“…Indeed, upon hook recognition, carp are known to spit the hook without becoming captured (see videos in association with [82]), and the general ability to recognize hooks through experiential or observational learning [1,25] could differentiate vulnerable from invulnerable individuals. Carp skilled in hook-avoidance may also be risk averse as risk-taking behaviour was negatively related to cognitive ability in carp via coping styles [101]. It is also possible that individual carp differ in their mobility after sucking in the bait, with only the ones showing the greater mobility swimming against the fixed lead, yielding a hooking event.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Encountering a bait is necessary but insufficient to explain individual variability in vulnerability to angling in two freshwater benthivorous fish in the wild

Monk

Arlinghaus

2017

PLoS ONE

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Fish personality traits, such as swimming activity, or personality related emergent behavioural properties, such as the degree of space use shown by an individual fish, should affect encounter rates between individual fish and fishing gear. Increased encounters should in turn drive vulnerability to capture by passively operated gears. However, empirical evidence documenting a relationship between activity-based behaviours and vulnerability to capture by passive fishing gear in the wild is limited. Using whole-lake acoustic telemetry, we first documented significant repeatabilities over several months in a suite of encounter rate-associated behaviours (swimming distance, activity space size, time on baited feeding sites, switching frequency among baited feeding sites, distance to the lake bottom) in two recreationally important benthivorous cyprinid species, the common carp (Cyprinus carpio) and tench (Tinca tinca). We then experimentally targeted both species using stationary angling on baited feeding sites. Individual fish regularly visited the angling sites, documenting that the fishes encountered the angling baits. When attempting to explain individual variation in vulnerability as a function of repeatable behavioural traits, we found no evidence of a significant relationship among various encounter-based behaviours and vulnerability to angling for both species. There was also no evidence for size selection or for energetically less conditioned fish to be more vulnerable. The data cumulatively suggest that fine-scale behaviours after encountering a bait (e.g., frequency of bait intake) may be ultimately decisive for determining vulnerability to angling in benthivorous fish. Based on our work, fishing-induced selection on encounter-based behaviours in recreational angling for benthivorous fish in the wild appears unlikely.

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“…The difference in (spatial) learning performance is assumed to result from differences in how individuals assess and attend to the learning situation [53]. However, no such relationship was reported in Eastern water skinks ( Eulamprus quoyii ) and in common carp ( Cyprinus carpio ), where bold as well as shy animals learned spatial association tasks equally successful [9, 40]. And also in black-capped chickadees ( Poecile atricapillus ), learning speed did not predict exploratory behaviour [31].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…We were not able to test if mice of different personality types employed different orientation strategies. There is indeed evidence for this in common carp ( Cyprinus carpio ) where different personality types solved an orientation task using different types of information to get access to a food reward [40]. Reactive (slow) individuals followed a light cue that was associated with food, while proactive (fast) animals formed fixed movement routines to reach the location of the food reward [40].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A behavioural syndrome, but less evidence for a relationship with cognitive traits in a spatial orientation context

et al. 2017

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BackgroundAnimals show consistent individual behavioural differences in many species. Further, behavioural traits (personality traits) form behavioural syndromes, characterised by correlations between different behaviours. Mechanisms maintaining these correlations could be constrained due to underlying relationships with cognitive traits. There is growing evidence for the non-independence of animal personality and general cognitive abilities in animals, but so far, studies on the direction of the relationship between them revealed contradictory results. Still, it is hypothesised that individuals may exhibit consistent learning and decision styles. Fast behavioural types (consistently bolder and more active individuals) are expected to show faster learning styles. Slow behavioural types in contrast are assumed to learn slower but more accurately. This can be caused by a speed-accuracy trade-off that individuals face during decision making. We measured the repeatability of three personality and four spatial cognitive traits in adult Eurasian harvest mice (Micromys minutus). We analysed correlations among personality traits (behavioural syndrome). We further investigated the relationships between personality and spatial cognitive traits as a first step exploring the potential connection between personality and cognition in this species.ResultsOur results showed that exploration, activity and boldness were repeatable in adult mice. Spatial recognition measured in a Y Maze was also significantly repeatable, as well as spatial learning performance and decision speed. We found no repeatability of decision accuracy. Harvest mice showed a behavioural syndrome as we observed strong positive correlations between personality traits. The speed-accuracy trade-off was not apparent within, nor between individuals. Nevertheless, we found weak evidence for a relationship between personality and spatial cognitive traits as fast behavioural types learned a spatial orientation task faster than slow types, and shyer harvest mice made decisions quicker than bolder mice.ConclusionsGiven these correlations, our data provided some first insights into the relationship between personality and spatial cognitive traits in harvest mice and will hopefully stimulate more studies in this field.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12983-017-0204-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

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Cue-based and algorithmic learning in common carp: A possible link to stress coping style

Cited by 34 publications

References 27 publications

Individual guppies differ in quantity discrimination performance across antipredator and foraging contexts

Individual guppies differ in quantity discrimination performance across antipredator and foraging contexts

Encountering a bait is necessary but insufficient to explain individual variability in vulnerability to angling in two freshwater benthivorous fish in the wild

A behavioural syndrome, but less evidence for a relationship with cognitive traits in a spatial orientation context

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