Stability of behavioral syndromes but plasticity in individual behavior: consequences for rockfish stock enhancement

Abstract

This study investigated behavioral syndromes, which are defined as correlations between behaviors. Behavioral syndromes can lead to the unintentional alteration of a wide range of behavioral traits of hatchery fish if unintentional selection on one behavior leads to selection on a correlated behavior. Specifically, this study used brown rockfish, Sebastes auriculatus, to test the hypothesis that a fish that feeds at high rates in the absence of a predator also takes more risks when a predator is present, and that through such a correlation, unintentional hatchery selection for high feeding rates may also lead to changes in risk taking behavior (here defined as behavior that increases predation risk). Behavioral syndromes were found-feeding behavior in the absence of a predator tended to correlate positively with both feeding behavior in the presence of a predator model and time near the model. These syndromes were stable through time-that is, the same correlations appeared 10 days later when the behavioral assays were repeated. However individual behavior was inconsistent (plastic). A fish could both feed and take risks at high rates on Day 1, but then both feed and take risks at low rates on Day 10. Thus, while behavioral syndromes were stable (i.e. present in both rounds 1 and 2), individuals were plastic in their behavior (i.e. inconsistent between rounds 1 and 2). After 16 weeks of hatchery rearing, neither growth nor survival were predicted by behavior. It is suggested that the behavioral plasticity within individuals through time makes consistent selection for strong feeders less likely, and that species with more plastic behavior may be less susceptible to unintentional selection on behavioral syndromes than species with behavior that is more fixed.

‘Personality’ in two species of temperate damselfish

“…To the best of our knowledge, only 1 other study shows evidence of 'personality' in marine fish, having demonstrated consistent individual differences in behaviour, and correlations among behavioural traits, in 2 tropical species of damselfish from a genus that differs from the present study . Although Lee & Bereijikian (2008) found evidence for correlations between behavioural traits at a given point in time, they did not find within-individual consistency. Snekser et al (2009) observed consistency over time for several behaviours when fish remained on a single type of territory, but not when they moved across territory types (artificial versus natural).…”

“…Although there is evidence of personality in a wide variety of animal taxa, including numerous freshwater fish species (Sih et al 2004, Reale et al 2007, there seems to be very little evidence for this phenomenon in marine fish with the exception of 3 studies: 1 study on stability of behavioural syndromes in rockfish (Lee & Bereijikian 2008), 1 study on behavioural correlations in Caribbean damselfish (Snekser et al 2009) and 1 study showing personality in 2 species of tropical damselfish . Given the rich taxonomic, social and competitive environments of temperate marine fish communities relative to temperate freshwater fish assemblages, we might expect marine fish to exhibit greater behavioural flexibility and greater differences in behaviour among species that serve to reduce competition and predation and allow persistence.…”

Shyness and boldness differences across contexts in juvenile three-spined stickleback Gasterosteus aculeatus from an anadromous population

“…Danio rerio (Hamilton 1822) (Moretz et al 2007) and Poecilia reticulata Peters 1859 (Harris et al , 2010), and marine fishes, e.g. Sebastes auriculatus Girard 1854 (Lee & Bereijikian, 2008) and Parma microlepis Günther 1862 (Eriksson et al , 2010). Repeatability values were high for a number of behaviours, suggesting that individuals behave similarly over time in their levels of activity, foraging, shoaling and predator inspection.…”

Individual behavioral phenotypes: An integrative meta‐theoretical framework. Why “behavioral syndromes” are not analogs of “personality”

“…When measured 10 days later, the correlations were similar. These temporally stable correlations among behavior measures were therefore construed as 'behavioral syndromes' (Lee & Bereijikian, 2008). But the crucial point is that the individuals' behavior was not consistent.…”