Interactions between aggression, boldness and shoaling within a brood of convict cichlids (Amatitlania nigrofasciatus).
A behavioral syndrome is considered present when individuals consistently express correlated behaviors across two or more axes of behavior. These axes of behavior are shy-bold, exploration-avoidance, activity, aggression, and sociability. In this study we examined aggression, boldness and sociability (shoaling) within a juvenile convict cichlid brood (Amatitlania nigrofasciatus). Because young convict cichlids are social, we used methodologies commonly used by ethologists studying social fishes. We did not detect an aggression-boldness behavioral syndrome, but we did find that the aggression, boldness, and possibly the exploration behavioral axes play significant roles in shaping the observed variation in individual convict cichlid behavior. While juvenile convict cichlids did express a shoaling preference, this social preference was likely convoluted by aggressive interactions, despite the small size and young age of the fish. There is a need for the development of behavioral assays that allow for more reliable measurement of behavioral axes in juvenile neo-tropical cichlids.
Department of Biology, Saint Joseph's University, Philadelphia, PA 19131, United States.
Sarah
S
Moss
Department of Biology, Saint Joseph's University, Philadelphia, PA 19131, United States.
Stephanie
S
Tittaferrante
Department of Biology, Saint Joseph's University, Philadelphia, PA 19131, United States.
Gregory P
GP
Way
Department of Biological Science, Rowan University, Glassboro, NJ 08028, United States.
Ashlei
A
Fuller
Department of Biology, Saint Joseph's University, Philadelphia, PA 19131, United States; Department of Biological Science, Rowan University, Glassboro, NJ 08028, United States.
Nicole
N
Sullivan
Department of Biological Science, Rowan University, Glassboro, NJ 08028, United States.
Nathan
N
Ruhl
Department of Biology, Saint Joseph's University, Philadelphia, PA 19131, United States. Electronic address: smcrober@sju.edu.
Scott P
SP
McRobert
D000374:Aggression; D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal; D023681:Cichlids / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D012726:Sexual Behavior, Animal
Aggression; Amatitlania nigrofasciatus; Behavioral syndrome; Boldness; Shoaling