What is a fish? The life and legend of David L.G. Noakes (original) (raw)

The potential for sentience in fishes

Animal Sentience, 2017

Balcombe's book is filled with information on the biology, behavior, and life history of fishes. I do not agree with all his premises. I am still somewhat perplexed about the discussion of whether fish feel pain; I am not sure whether the distinction between nociception and pain makes any difference. Overall, however, his treatment of the principles of both natural and sexual selection is comprehensive and accurate, and has greatly increased my knowledge and awareness of the biology, ethology, and potential for sentience in fishes. In summary, this work has exposed me to new ideas about how to examine fishes and it has forced me to think about and explore many of the concepts presented.

Fish_Physiology_2006_Vol_24_Behaviour_and_Physiology_of_Fish

x CONTRIBUTORS PREFACE Volume 6 of the Fish Physiology series was the first to focus specifically on fish behaviour in relation to physiology. Almost thirty five years later, we are dedicating another volume of this internationally recognised series to the interrelations between behaviour and physiology in fish. Within the intervening period, several volumes had Chapters that considered fish behaviour; however, it is only in recent years that the integrative approach to fish behaviour and physiology has dramatically increased. The present volume (24) brings together these disciplines in a comprehensive review of the available literature with an additional introductory overview. The progression of Chapters focuses on diVerent aspects in the life history of a fish, each written by scientists who are bridging the gap between behaviour and physiology in their own specialised discipline. In addition to contributing to our current knowledge on both fish behaviour and physiology, we hope that this volume will excite the future use of multidisciplinary approaches to understand the interplay between behaviour and physiology in fish.

Contemporary topics in fish cognition and behaviour

Current Opinion in Behavioral Sciences, 2017

The field of fish cognition and behaviour is now well established and recent developments reflect a shift to mechanistic, comparative and theoretical approaches compared to early work. In this review we briefly summarise recent advances in four major areas of research: spatial learning, social cognition, numerical competency and cognition, consciousness and pain. The debate on whether fish are conscious and able to feel pain is particularly topical, and we discuss recent behavioural and adaptive arguments in favour of fish pain. In this review we also propose interesting avenues of research in which fish have been given little attention in comparison with other vertebrate species.

A behavioral perspective on fishing-induced evolution

Trends in Ecology & Evolution, 2008

these results into more precise models of mobbing behavior will enrich our understanding of the evolution of cooperation, one of the more poorly understood problems in evolutionary biology. Effects of avian mobbing on roost use and diet of powerful owls, Ninox strenua. Anim. Behav. 55, 313-318 3 Flasskamp, A. (1994) The adaptive significance of avian mobbing. V. An experimental test of the 'move on' hypothesis. Ethology 96, 322-333 4 Curio, E. and Regelmann, K. (1986) Predator harassment implies a real deadly risk: a reply to Hennessy.

Evidence for contemporary evolution of behavioural responses to introduced fish

antipredator fish human impact invasions Rana cascadae rapid evolution tadpole trout Introduced predators are a major driver of worldwide biodiversity loss. However, if endemic prey are not rapidly extirpated by invaders, they may evolve antipredator traits that promote coexistence with invaders. We studied antipredator behaviours in fish-naïve and fish-exposed populations of Cascades frog tadpoles, Rana cascadae, to test the hypothesis that fish-exposed populations have evolved stronger defensive behaviours. We raised tadpoles from field-collected eggs in fish-free aquaria, and performed behaviour assays to quantify their behaviours with and without fish scent cues. Fish scent induced strong decreases in activity and increases in refuge use in both population types, potentially indicating a persistent ancestral response to fish. Populations co-occurring with fish were constitutively less active and in refuges more than naïve populations in the absence of cues, but had a smaller plastic decrease in activity and a smaller increase in refuge use when exposed to cues. Weakening of the antipredator response in fish-invaded populations may be a signal of contemporary evolution towards optimization of time spent foraging versus the fitness costs of time spent avoiding predation.

Coping styles and learning in fish: developing behavioural tools for welfare-friendly aquaculture

2011

 Given the known stressful effects of many husbandry practices in carp aquaculture and the desirability of improving the welfare of farmed fish, the main aim of the study described in this thesis was to explore the possibility of developing a low-stress sorting system for common carp, based on a conditioned response to a visual cue signalling the presence of food.  An additional aim was to investigate possible effects of individual stress coping strategy, which necessitated recording the behaviour of and keeping track of known individuals over periods of weeks to months. Photographic images of scales patterns in common carp can be used reliably for individual identification over periods of months. These individual identifiers, together with dye marks, were deemed sufficient for the purposes of the programme of research described in this thesis (Chapter 2).  In general, rate of emergence from shelter into a potentially-dangerous novel environment containing food (a commonly-used method for screening fish for risktaking) proved to be a consistent individual trait in common carp, even when fish were tested in different, randomly composed groups of fish on different occasions (Chapter 2).  Consistent individual differences were also found in frequency of inspection of an unfamiliar object and in ability to gain access to a restricted food source. However, individual differences in performance in these 3 tests (novel environment, novel object and food competition) were unrelated when carp were tested in unfamiliar groups (Chapter 3).  An examination was carried out on 5 data sets in which morphometric data were collected from common carp or goldfish assigned to a risk-taking phenotype on the basis of a novel environment test. Statistical differences were found in only 2 of these studies; both on common carp, with risk-takers in better condition than risk-avoiders. These support the "growth-mortality trade off" model (Chapter 6).  Common carp classified as risk-taking, risk-avoiding and intermediate (on the basis of a series of novel environment tests) were given a simple conditioning treatment in which the presence of food in one of two potential feeding compartments was signalled by one of two movable coloured lights. Patterns of settlement (emergence from shelter 5  Plasma cortisol levels were markedly higher in pond-reared fish compared to tankreared fish of the same family, presumably due to the stressful experience of both harvesting and disease. In contrast, plasma glucose levels were lower in pond-reared fish, presumably due to their poor nutritional status (Chapter 5).  The relationship between an estimate of forebrain size and overall brain size was different in pond and tank reared fish, with most pond reared families having a larger forebrain area than tank reared fish (Chapter 5).  Also during the course of this programme of work, two related studies were carried out in collaboration with colleagues in the Division of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology. Together with Hussein Jen-Jan, we explored some hidden costs of an aggressive, proactive life style by examining respiratory function in relation to coping strategy in common carp (chapter 6).  Morphometric analysis of the fine structure of the gills was used to estimate respiratory area and histological analysis of sections through the gill filaments was used to measure the extent to which the secondary lamellae were obscured by epithelial cells. There was a significant relationship between risk-taking phenotype and both the size of the respiratory surface and the extent to which this is exposed as opposed to covered with epithelial cells. Risk-taking fish had larger and more exposed respiratory surfaces than did risk-avoiding fish, with fish with intermediate risk-taking phenotype having intermediate scores. These differences are interpreted as an adaptation to the known high resting metabolic rate of risk-taking fish (Chapter 6).  Together with Priyadarshini, we look at social interactions and growth in relation to risk-taking phenotype in goldfish. Within the social groups, though most goldfish showed no aggressive behaviour, some of the fish attacked their companions at least once per minute of observation and some individuals showed as many as 8 attacks per minute. These levels are surprisingly high for what is usually seen as a non-aggressive species. In groups comprising 3 goldfish of each risk-taking category, the risk-avoiding fish showed relatively little aggression. Overall, fish that showed any aggression within social groups gained preferential access to a restricted food supply (Chapter 6).  There were no differences in weight, length or condition between risk-taking and risk-avoiding goldfish at the point of initial screening, but by the end of the experiment the risk-avoiding fish held in groups with other risk-avoiders had gained less weight and had strikingly lower condition factors compared to the other categories of fish (i.e. all risk-avoiders and risk-takers held in mixed groups). It is suggested that some sort of 6 social facilitation of fear keeps levels of stress high in groups composed entirely of riskavoiding fish (Chapter 6).  The implications of all these results are considered in a final general discussion (Chapter 7).