Selfish behaviour as an anti-predator response in schooling fish?

Goulart, Vinícius D.L. R.; Young, Robert J.

Abstract

One widely acknowledged benefit of group living is an increase in the efficiency of predator avoidance. Experiments have demonstrated a variety of mechanisms involved, such as ‘the selfish herd’. In this experiment we exposed groups of two-spot astyanax, Astyanax bimaculatus, to three predatory stimuli (‘active search’, ‘avian pecking’ and ‘sit-and-wait’) and one nonpredatory control stimulus. In response to these stimuli we found that fish were more likely to chase and attack a group member when exposed to an active search predator model. This response was not observed for the control or the other predators. This response could reduce an individual's predation risk by making the other (i.e. the attacked) individual more vulnerable to predation. We showed that this trait was an innate response and as such a result of natural selection rather than a learning process. This study shows how group living may result in active selfishness, an additional cost of group living.

Citation

Goulart, V. D. R., & Young, R. J. (2013). Selfish behaviour as an anti-predator response in schooling fish?. Animal Behaviour, 86(2), 443-450. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anbehav.2013.05.041

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: May 14, 2013
• Online Publication Date: Jun 28, 2013
• Publication Date: 2013-08
• Deposit Date: May 12, 2023
• Journal: Animal Behaviour
• Print ISSN: 0003-3472
• Publisher: Elsevier
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 86
• Issue: 2
• Pages: 443-450
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anbehav.2013.05.041
• Keywords: Animal Science and Zoology; Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics