Anti-predatory behaviour of wild-caught vs captive-bred freshwater angelfish, Pterophyllum scalare

作者：El Balaa R; Blouin Demers G^*

来源：Journal of Applied Ichthyology, 2011, 27(4): 1052-1056.

DOI：10.1111/j.1439-0426.2011.01740.x

Environments and experiences encountered in early life stages of animals shape their adult behaviour. When environments are maintained for several generations, differential selection forces act upon individuals to select those most fit to the particular conditions. As such, differences in the behaviour of captive bred and wild caught individuals have been observed recurrently. In fish, hatchery raised individuals tend to seek refuge less, making them more vulnerable to predators. We tested the hypothesis that captive breeding induces non-adaptive changes in behaviour of freshwater angelfish, Pterophyllum scalare. Wild-caught and captive-bred fish were exposed to a natural predator and measured for their antipredator behaviours; no differences were found in behaviour under control conditions. When exposed to a natural predator, wild-caught fish exhibited significantly shorter freezing durations than captive-bred fish, and took significantly shorter time to resume normal behaviour. No differences in the time taken to initiate investigations of the predator were detected. The results demonstrate that captive-bred fish respond differently than their wild counterparts when exposed to a natural predator, and that this domestication has implications for captive rearing programmes.

• 出版日期2011-8