ArticlesBehavioural syndromes in brook charr, Salvelinus fontinalis: prey-search in the field corresponds with space use in novel laboratory situations
Section snippets
Field Observations
Between 5 April and 16 May 2004, we observed and captured 89 young-of-the-year (YOY) brook charr (fork length: 2.0–3.0 cm; weight: 0.050–0.300 g) from the west branch of the Credit River (mean water temperature: ∼10°C) in Erin Township, Ontario. Observations were made from seven still-water pools (surface area: ∼1.0–1.5 m2) along a 1-km stretch of river and took place between 0900 and 1200 hours (Eastern Standard Time).
For a given observation period, an observer arrived at a pool and, while
Experiment 1: Latency to Exit a Jar
Fish that were more active in the field took less time to escape from the glass jar than those that were less active in the field (G1 = 5.77, P < 0.02). The time-to-event (jar exit) regression predicted that the most active individuals from the field would have exit times that were 30% lower, on average, than those of the least active fish from the field (Fig. 2). When individual fish moved, the nature of the movement was consistent with that shown by active, foraging fish in the field. No fish
Discussion
Our study supports three main conclusions. First, the sit-and-wait and active search tactics used by brook charr in the field reflect part of a behavioural syndrome encompassing general activity and space use (experiments 1, 2 and 4), but not startle responses (experiment 3). Second, activity of charr in the laboratory was shaped both by flexible responses to environmental conditions and by underlying predispositions to be active (experiments 2 and 4) and the predispositions were repeatable for
Acknowledgments
We thank four anonymous referees, Drs D. Noakes, N. Bernier, J. Fryxell and E. Boulding for comments on earlier drafts of this manuscript, S. Burosch for assistance in the field and laboratory, R. Frank and M. Cornish for technical support in Hagen Aqualab, and the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources (OMNR) for a permit to collect fish. This research was supported by an NSERC Operating Grant to R. L. McLaughlin and was approved by University of Guelph Animal Care Committee (Animal Utilization
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R. L. McLaughlin is at the Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph ON, N1G 2W1, Canada.