Social plasticity in non-territorial male African cichlid fish Astatotilapia burtoni
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- 作者：Andrew G. Fulmer ; H. Neumeister ; T. Preuss
- 关键词：Social behavior ; Reversible phenotype ; Dominance ; Territoriality ; Intrasexual competition
- 刊名：Journal of Ethology
- 出版年：2017
- 出版时间：January 2017
- 年：2017
- 卷：35
- 期：1
- 页码：109-119
- 全文大小：
- 刊物类别：Biomedical and Life Sciences
- 刊物主题：Zoology; Behavioral Sciences; Animal Ecology; Evolutionary Biology;
- 出版者：Springer Japan
- ISSN：1439-5444
- 卷排序：35
文摘
The African cichlid fish Astatotilapia burtoni represents a valuable model system for studies of social decision-making due to its socially mediated phenotypic plasticity. The males reversibly transition in social status from reproductively dominant and territorial (DOM) to submissive and non-territorial (SUB). Males are traditionally categorized into these two behavioral phenotypes by observational scoring. There is evidence, however, that this dichotomous categorization might not capture the behavioral plasticity displayed by individuals transitioning between SUB and DOM status. To test this concept, we used focal observations of intrasexual conflict behavior in fish communities combined with a modified analysis of the ethogram typically used in A. burtoni. Results revealed a cluster of males close to the crossover point between SUB and DOM status as defined by the traditional dominance index. These intermediate males showed the highest frequency of intrasexual conflict behaviors, distinct behavioral responses to threats, and body pigment signaling displays that distinguish them from prototypical SUBs and DOMs. As such, our results provide a noninvasive behavioral metric to categorize A. burtoni males into three groups, thus further capturing the complex social dynamic of this model organism.