Plasticity of boldness in rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss: do hunger and predation influence risk-taking behaviour?

Thomson, Jack S.; Watts, Phillip C.; Pottinger, Tom G.; Sneddon, Lynne U.. 2012 Plasticity of boldness in rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss: do hunger and predation influence risk-taking behaviour? Hormones and Behavior, 61 (5). 750-757. 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2012.03.014

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Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.yhbeh.2012.03.014

Abstract/Summary

Boldness, a measure of an individual's propensity for taking risks, is an important determinant of fitness but is not necessarily a fixed trait. Dependent upon an individual's state, and given certain contexts or challenges, individuals may be able to alter their inclination to be bold or shy in response. Furthermore, the degree to which individuals can modulate their behaviour has been linked with physiological responses to stress. Here we attempted to determine whether bold and shy rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss, can exhibit behavioural plasticity in response to changes in state (nutritional availability) and context (predation threat). Individual trout were initially assessed for boldness using a standard novel object paradigm; subsequently, each day for one week fish experienced either predictable, unpredictable, or no simulated predator threat in combination with a high (2% body weight) or low (0.15%) food ration, before being reassessed for boldness. Bold trout were generally more plastic, altering levels of neophobia and activity relevant to the challenge, whereas shy trout were more fixed and remained shy. Increased predation risk generally resulted in an increase in the expression of three candidate genes linked to boldness, appetite regulation and physiological stress responses – ependymin, corticotrophin releasing factor and GABAA – but did not produce a significant increase in plasma cortisol. The results suggest a divergence in the ability of bold and shy trout to alter their behavioural profiles in response to internal and exogenous factors, and have important implications for our understanding of the maintenance of different behavioural phenotypes in natural populations.

Item Type:	Publication - Article
Digital Object Identifier (DOI):	10.1016/j.yhbeh.2012.03.014
Programmes:	CEH Topics & Objectives 2009 - 2012 > Water
UKCEH and CEH Sections/Science Areas:	Parr
ISSN:	0018-506X
Additional Information. Not used in RCUK Gateway to Research.:	: this is the author’s version of a work that was accepted for publication in Hormones and Behavior. Changes resulting from the publishing process, such as peer review, editing, corrections, structural formatting, and other quality control mechanisms may not be reflected in this document. Changes may have been made to this work since it was submitted for publication. A definitive version was subsequently published in Hormones and Behavior, 61 (5). 750-757. 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2012.03.014 : this is the author’s version of a work that was accepted for publication in Hormones and Behavior. Changes resulting from the publishing process, such as peer review, editing, corrections, structural formatting, and other quality control mechanisms may not be reflected in this document. Changes may have been made to this work since it was submitted for publication. A definitive version was subsequently published in Hormones and Behavior, 61 (5). 750-757. 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2012.03.014 www.elsevier.com/
Additional Keywords:	boldness, behavioural plasticity, rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss, predation threat, food availability, cortisol, coping style, gene expression
NORA Subject Terms:	Biology and Microbiology Zoology Ecology and Environment
Date made live:	19 Apr 2012 10:52 +0 (UTC)
URI:	https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/16681

Item Type:

Publication - Article

Digital Object Identifier (DOI):

10.1016/j.yhbeh.2012.03.014

Programmes:

CEH Topics & Objectives 2009 - 2012 > Water

UKCEH and CEH Sections/Science Areas:

Parr

ISSN:

0018-506X

Additional Information. Not used in RCUK Gateway to Research.:

: this is the author’s version of a work that was accepted for publication in Hormones and Behavior. Changes resulting from the publishing process, such as peer review, editing, corrections, structural formatting, and other quality control mechanisms may not be reflected in this document. Changes may have been made to this work since it was submitted for publication. A definitive version was subsequently published in Hormones and Behavior, 61 (5). 750-757. 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2012.03.014 : this is the author’s version of a work that was accepted for publication in Hormones and Behavior. Changes resulting from the publishing process, such as peer review, editing, corrections, structural formatting, and other quality control mechanisms may not be reflected in this document. Changes may have been made to this work since it was submitted for publication. A definitive version was subsequently published in Hormones and Behavior, 61 (5). 750-757. 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2012.03.014 www.elsevier.com/

Additional Keywords:

boldness, behavioural plasticity, rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss, predation threat, food availability, cortisol, coping style, gene expression

NORA Subject Terms:

Biology and Microbiology
Zoology
Ecology and Environment

Date made live:

19 Apr 2012 10:52 +0 (UTC)

URI:

https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/16681