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Pike TW, Burman OHP. Simulating individual movement in fish. Sci Rep 2023; 13:14581. [PMID: 37666895 PMCID: PMC10477313 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-40420-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2023] [Accepted: 08/09/2023] [Indexed: 09/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Accurately quantifying an animal's movement is crucial for developing a greater empirical and theoretical understanding of its behaviour, and for simulating biologically plausible movement patterns. However, we have a relatively poor understanding of how animals move at fine temporal scales and in three-dimensional environments. Here, we collected high temporal resolution data on the three-dimensional spatial positions of individual three-spined sticklebacks (Gasterosteus aculeatus), allowing us to derive statistics describing key geometric characteristics of their movement and to quantify the extent to which this varies between individuals. We then used these statistics to develop a simple model of fish movement and evaluated the biological plausibility of simulated movement paths using a Turing-type test, which quantified the association preferences of live fish towards animated conspecifics following either 'real' (i.e., based on empirical measurements) or simulated movements. Live fish showed no difference in their response to 'real' movement compared to movement simulated by the model, although significantly preferred modelled movement over putatively unnatural movement patterns. The model therefore has the potential to facilitate a greater understanding of the causes and consequences of individual variation in movement, as well as enabling the construction of agent-based models or real-time computer animations in which individual fish move in biologically feasible ways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas W Pike
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Lincoln, Lincoln, LN6 7DL, UK.
| | - Oliver H P Burman
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Lincoln, Lincoln, LN6 7DL, UK
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Kleinhappel TK, Pike TW, Burman OHP. Changes in group behaviour in response to a preferred environment reflect positive affect. Sci Rep 2023; 13:10576. [PMID: 37386060 PMCID: PMC10310767 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-37763-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2023] [Accepted: 06/27/2023] [Indexed: 07/01/2023] Open
Abstract
When observed in their preferred environments, animals display behavioural changes, such as an increase in resting or a reduction in agonism, suggestive of positive affect and improved welfare. However, most studies focus on the behaviour of individuals or, at most, pairs of animals; even though in group-living animals beneficial environmental changes may impact on how the group behaves as a whole. In this study, we investigated whether experiencing a preferred visual environment affected the shoaling behaviour of zebrafish (Danio rerio) groups. We first confirmed a group preference for an image of gravel placed underneath the base of a tank compared to a plain white image. Second, we observed replicated groups either with or without the preferred (gravel) image present to determine if a visually enriched and preferred environment could elicit changes in shoaling behaviour. We found a significant interaction between the observation time and test condition, with differences in shoaling behaviour reflective of increased relaxation emerging gradually over time in the gravel condition. The findings of this study reveal that experiencing a preferred environment can alter group behaviour, making such holistic changes valuable as potential indicators of positive welfare.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Thomas W Pike
- School of Life Sciences, University of Lincoln, Lincoln, LN6 7DL, UK
| | - Oliver H P Burman
- School of Life Sciences, University of Lincoln, Lincoln, LN6 7DL, UK.
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Webster MM, Laland KN. No evidence for individual recognition in threespine or ninespine sticklebacks ( Gasterosteus aculeatus or Pungitius pungitius). ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2020; 7:191703. [PMID: 32874600 PMCID: PMC7428269 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.191703] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2019] [Accepted: 06/17/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Recognition plays an important role in the formation and organization of animal groups. Many animals are capable of class-level recognition, discriminating, for example, on the basis of species, kinship or familiarity. Individual recognition requires that animals recognize distinct cues, and learn to associate these with the specific individual from which they are derived. In this study, we asked whether sticklebacks (Gasterosteus aculeatus and Pungitius pungitius) were capable of learning to recognize individual conspecifics. We have used these fish as model organisms for studying selective social learning, and demonstrating a capacity for individual recognition in these species would provide an exciting opportunity for studying how biases for copying specific individuals shape the dynamics of information transmission. To test for individual recognition, we trained subjects to associate green illumination with the provision of a food reward close to one of two conspecifics, and, for comparison, one of two physical landmarks. Both species were capable of recognizing the rewarded landmark, but neither showed a preference for associating with the rewarded conspecific. Our study provides no evidence for individual recognition in either species. We speculate that the fission-fusion structure of their social groups may not favour a capacity for individual recognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mike M. Webster
- Centre for Biological Diversity, School of Biology, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, Fife KY16 9TF, UK
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Kleinhappel TK, Pike TW, Burman OHP. Stress-induced changes in group behaviour. Sci Rep 2019; 9:17200. [PMID: 31748696 PMCID: PMC6868208 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-53661-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2019] [Accepted: 10/25/2019] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Testing animals in groups can provide valuable data for investigating behavioural stress responses. However, conventional measures typically focus on the behaviour of individual animals or on dyadic interactions. Here, we aimed to determine metrics describing the behaviour of grouping animals that can reveal differences in stress responses. Using zebrafish (Danio rerio) as a model, we observed replicated shoals both immediately and 24 hours after exposure to a novel environment, as an assessment of temporal change in response to an acute stressor. We quantified various standard behavioural measures in combination with metrics describing group structure, including different proximity, social, and spatial metrics. Firstly, we showed a high collinearity between most of the analysed metrics, suggesting that they describe similar aspects of the group dynamics. After metric selection, we found that under acute stress shoals had significantly higher shoal densities, a lower variation in nearest neighbour distances and were in closer proximity to the walls compared to the same groups tested 24 hours later, indicating a reduction in acute stress over time. Thus, the use of group metrics could allow for the refinement of behavioural protocols carried out in a range of research areas, by providing sensitive and rich data in a more relevant social context.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Thomas W Pike
- School of Life Sciences, University of Lincoln, Lincoln, LN6 7DL, UK
| | - Oliver H P Burman
- School of Life Sciences, University of Lincoln, Lincoln, LN6 7DL, UK
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Kleinhappel TK, Burman OHP, John EA, Wilkinson A, Pike TW. The impact of water pH on association preferences in fish. Ethology 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.12843] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Anna Wilkinson
- School of Life Sciences; University of Lincoln; Lincoln UK
| | - Thomas W. Pike
- School of Life Sciences; University of Lincoln; Lincoln UK
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Gaffney KA, Webster MM. Consistency of fish-shoal social network structure under laboratory conditions. JOURNAL OF FISH BIOLOGY 2018; 92:1574-1589. [PMID: 29624696 DOI: 10.1111/jfb.13613] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2018] [Accepted: 03/01/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
We investigated the consistency of association network structure for groups of sticklebacks Gasterosteus aculeatus. Each group was observed twice and we varied the duration between observations and the size of the experimental arena that they were observed in. At the dyad level, we found positive correlations between dyad interaction frequencies across observations. At the group level we found variation in four network metrics between observations, but only in treatments where the duration between observations was short. Specifically, fish formed more and smaller groups in the second observation in this treatment. Fish were also organized into more subunits in the larger arenas. Finally, we saw positive correlations between some group network metrics across observations suggesting relative consistency at the group level. There are several processes that might drive these interaction patterns. Our findings have implications for experimental design and the comparison and integration of findings of experiments from different studies carried out under different conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- K A Gaffney
- School of Biology, Harold Mitchell Building, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, Fife, KY16 9TF, U.K
| | - M M Webster
- School of Biology, Harold Mitchell Building, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, Fife, KY16 9TF, U.K
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Henneken J, Goodger JQD, Jones TM, Elgar MA. Diet-Mediated Pheromones and Signature Mixtures Can Enforce Signal Reliability. Front Ecol Evol 2017. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2016.00145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
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Kleinhappel TK, Burman OHP, John EA, Wilkinson A, Pike TW. Free Amino Acids Mediate Association Preferences in Fish. Ethology 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.12518] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Anna Wilkinson
- School of Life Sciences; University of Lincoln; Lincoln UK
| | - Thomas W. Pike
- School of Life Sciences; University of Lincoln; Lincoln UK
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Kleinhappel TK, Burman OHP, John EA, Wilkinson A, Pike TW. A mechanism mediating inter-individual associations in mixed-species groups. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-016-2099-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
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Killen SS, Fu C, Wu Q, Wang Y, Fu S. The relationship between metabolic rate and sociability is altered by food deprivation. Funct Ecol 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.12634] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Shaun S. Killen
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health, and Comparative Medicine College of Medical, Veterinary, and Life Sciences University of Glasgow Glasgow G12 8QQ UK
| | - Cheng Fu
- Laboratory of Evolutionary Physiology and Behaviour College of Life Sciences Chongqing Normal University Chongqing 400047 China
| | - Qingyi Wu
- Laboratory of Evolutionary Physiology and Behaviour College of Life Sciences Chongqing Normal University Chongqing 400047 China
| | - Yu‐Xiang Wang
- Laboratory of Evolutionary Physiology and Behaviour College of Life Sciences Chongqing Normal University Chongqing 400047 China
- Department of Biology Queen's University Kingston Ontario Canada K7L 3N6
| | - Shi‐Jian Fu
- Laboratory of Evolutionary Physiology and Behaviour College of Life Sciences Chongqing Normal University Chongqing 400047 China
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Abstract
Social network theory provides a useful tool to study complex social relationships in animals. The possibility to look beyond dyadic interactions by considering whole networks of social relationships allows researchers the opportunity to study social groups in more natural ways. As such, network-based analyses provide an informative way to investigate the factors influencing the social environment of group-living animals, and so has direct application to animal welfare. For example, animal groups in captivity are frequently disrupted by separations, reintroductions and/or mixing with unfamiliar individuals and this can lead to social stress and associated aggression. Social network analysis ofanimal groups can help identify the underlying causes of these socially-derived animal welfare concerns. In this review we discuss how this approach can be applied, and how it could be used to identify potential interventions and solutions in the area of animal welfare.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Elizabeth A. John
- University of Alberta in 1989. University of Michigan Biological Station and the University of British Columbia, University of Sussex in 1992
| | | | - Anna Wilkinson
- University of York in 2007. University of Lincoln in 2010
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Firth J, Voelkl B, Farine D, Sheldon B. Experimental Evidence that Social Relationships Determine Individual Foraging Behavior. Curr Biol 2015; 25:3138-43. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2015.09.075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2015] [Revised: 09/08/2015] [Accepted: 09/08/2015] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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