Association patterns and shoal fidelity in the three-spined stickleback.
We investigated pairwise association patterns and shoal fidelity in free-ranging, individual three-spine sticklebacks (Gasterosteus aculeatus) by capturing entire shoals of sticklebacks and tagging each shoal member with a unique individual mark before releasing the shoal at the point of capture. We recaptured tagged fishes in the study area on five subsequent days, noting their identity, their location and the individuals with which they were associated. Stable partner associations between fishes were observed which might provide the basis for shoal fidelity via social networks. These results suggest the potential for the kinds of inter-individual association patterns assumed by models of predator inspection and 'tit-for-tat' behaviours in free-ranging fishes.
Ward
Ashley J W
AJ
School of Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK. bgyajww@leeds.ac.uk
Botham
Marc S
MS
Hoare
Daniel J
DJ
James
Richard
R
Broom
Mark
M
Godin
Jean-Guy J
JG
Krause
Jens
J
D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D006702:Homing Behavior; D011156:Population Density; D023701:Smegmamorpha / Q000502:physiology*; D012919:Social Behavior; D013045:Species Specificity