Influence of acoustics on the collective behaviour of a shoaling freshwater fish
Influence of acoustics on the collective behaviour of a shoaling freshwater fish
Understanding how collective behaviour of animals is influenced by anthropogenic activity is important for their conservation in an increasingly urbanised world. River infrastructure, e.g. for transport and electricity generation, and associated construction and operation, produces sound that can disrupt ecological processes. Adopting a reductionist manipulative experimental approach using Eurasian minnow (Phoxinus phoxinus) as a model shoaling species, we compared the response of individuals and groups of five fish to a broadband acoustic stimulus in a tank containing still water. Four metrics were calculated 10 min immediately before (control–sound stimulus absent) and during the acoustic treatment: (1) swimming speed, (2) persistence of swim paths, (3) cohesion of the group, and (4) orientation of group members. On presentation of the stimulus, groups exhibited a consistent escape response compared to individuals for which behaviour was more variable. Thereafter, individuals swam faster and their swim paths were less persistent than during the control; no difference was observed for groups. Conversely, group integrity became more cohesive and members were more likely to orient in a common direction during the treatment compared to the control. This study provides insight into the importance of collective behaviour of fish in relation to antipredator-like response to anthropogenic noise. Short-term shifts in behaviour are context specific and depend on whether fish are members of a shoal or solitary. The results indicate the potential for negative impacts of unnatural sound on the ecology of shoaling species that inhabit engineered freshwater environments.
anthropogenic disturbance, group behaviour, noise, schools, sound
2186-2195
Short, Matthew
c35b7c53-0127-43cf-87c2-990a4e5fe74d
White, Paul
2dd2477b-5aa9-42e2-9d19-0806d994eaba
Leighton, Timothy
3e5262ce-1d7d-42eb-b013-fcc5c286bbae
Kemp, Paul
9e33fba6-cccf-4eb5-965b-b70e72b11cd7
December 2020
Short, Matthew
c35b7c53-0127-43cf-87c2-990a4e5fe74d
White, Paul
2dd2477b-5aa9-42e2-9d19-0806d994eaba
Leighton, Timothy
3e5262ce-1d7d-42eb-b013-fcc5c286bbae
Kemp, Paul
9e33fba6-cccf-4eb5-965b-b70e72b11cd7
Short, Matthew, White, Paul, Leighton, Timothy and Kemp, Paul
(2020)
Influence of acoustics on the collective behaviour of a shoaling freshwater fish.
Freshwater Biology, 65 (12), .
(doi:10.1111/fwb.13612).
Abstract
Understanding how collective behaviour of animals is influenced by anthropogenic activity is important for their conservation in an increasingly urbanised world. River infrastructure, e.g. for transport and electricity generation, and associated construction and operation, produces sound that can disrupt ecological processes. Adopting a reductionist manipulative experimental approach using Eurasian minnow (Phoxinus phoxinus) as a model shoaling species, we compared the response of individuals and groups of five fish to a broadband acoustic stimulus in a tank containing still water. Four metrics were calculated 10 min immediately before (control–sound stimulus absent) and during the acoustic treatment: (1) swimming speed, (2) persistence of swim paths, (3) cohesion of the group, and (4) orientation of group members. On presentation of the stimulus, groups exhibited a consistent escape response compared to individuals for which behaviour was more variable. Thereafter, individuals swam faster and their swim paths were less persistent than during the control; no difference was observed for groups. Conversely, group integrity became more cohesive and members were more likely to orient in a common direction during the treatment compared to the control. This study provides insight into the importance of collective behaviour of fish in relation to antipredator-like response to anthropogenic noise. Short-term shifts in behaviour are context specific and depend on whether fish are members of a shoal or solitary. The results indicate the potential for negative impacts of unnatural sound on the ecology of shoaling species that inhabit engineered freshwater environments.
Text
Short et al. Freshwater Biology
- Accepted Manuscript
More information
Accepted/In Press date: 22 September 2020
e-pub ahead of print date: 7 October 2020
Published date: December 2020
Additional Information:
Funding Information:
We thank the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) Doctoral Training Partnership (grant reference number: DTP12 EP/K503150/1) for the funding required to complete this work. We also thank the Environment Agency and Winchester College for the permission and advice required to capture the fish required for this study.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2020 The Authors. Freshwater Biology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd
Copyright:
Copyright 2020 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
Keywords:
anthropogenic disturbance, group behaviour, noise, schools, sound
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Local EPrints ID: 444118
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/444118
ISSN: 0046-5070
PURE UUID: 2bc05afc-a3db-456f-8afd-e92b6fe5926a
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Date deposited: 28 Sep 2020 16:30
Last modified: 17 Mar 2024 03:00
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Matthew Short
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