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Loss of shoaling preference for familiar individuals in captive‐reared crimson spotted rainbowfish Melanotaenia duboulayi
Author(s) -
Kydd E.,
Brown C.
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
journal of fish biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.672
H-Index - 115
eISSN - 1095-8649
pISSN - 0022-1112
DOI - 10.1111/j.1095-8649.2009.02240.x
Subject(s) - biology , shoaling and schooling , hatching , population , zoology , preference , inbreeding , captivity , captive breeding , hatchery , fish <actinopterygii> , ecology , fishery , demography , endangered species , sociology , habitat , economics , microeconomics
Captive‐reared rainbowfish Melanotonia duboulayi showed no preference for familiar individuals in an experiment examining shoaling preferences. Fortnightly re‐examination of the shoaling preferences of the captive‐reared population showed that the lack of preference for familiar individuals did not alter over an 8 week period. The same experiment performed on laboratory‐reared offspring raised in isolated groups for 8 months since hatching also showed no preference for shoals consisting of familiar individuals. In contrast, trials performed on a wild population of M. duboulayi found a strong preference for familiar shoalmates, a result that is consistent with previous studies. The lack of shoaling preferences in captive‐reared populations is probably the result of relaxed selection and inbreeding in the captive environment. The consequences of captive breeding for fish social behaviour are discussed with particular reference to hatchery production.