A behavioral perspective on fishing-induced evolution.
The potential for excessive and/or selective fishing to act as an evolutionary force has been emphasized recently. However, most studies have focused on evolution of life-history traits in response to size-selective harvesting. Here we draw attention to fishing-induced evolution of behavioral and underlying physiological traits. We contend that fishing-induced selection directly acting on behavioral rather than on life-history traits per se can be expected in all fisheries that operate with passive gears such as trapping, angling and gill-netting. Recent artificial selection experiments in the nest-guarding largemouth bass Micropterus salmoides suggest that fishing-induced evolution of behavioral traits that reduce exposure to fishing gear might be maladaptive, potentially reducing natural recruitment. To improve understanding and management of fisheries-induced evolution, we encourage greater application of methods from behavioral ecology, physiological ecology and behavioral genetics.
Uusi-Heikkilä
Silva
S
Wolter
Christian
C
Klefoth
Thomas
T
Arlinghaus
Robert
R
D000818:Animals; D001492:Bass / Q000502:physiology*; D001522:Behavior, Animal; D005075:Biological Evolution; D005398:Fisheries