Not all company is comforting: metabolic consequences of conspecific presence depend on species’ social system in fish
Not all company is comforting: metabolic consequences of conspecific presence depend on species’ social system in fish
Social animals may reduce their overall metabolic demand through group living due to a “calming effect”. However, it remains unclear whether the metabolic response of individuals to group members varies depending on the social system, and how individual sociability influences this response. We measured the metabolic rates of the territorial three-striped dwarf cichlid (Apistogramma trifasciata) and the shoaling cardinal tetra (Paracheirodon axelrodi) in the presence or absence of three conspecifics, examining the relationship between individual sociability and metabolic rates, with a focus on how sociability influences the metabolic response to conspecific presence. Territorial cichlids exhibited increased standard metabolic rate (SMR) and routine metabolic rate (RMR) in response to the presence of conspecifics, while shoaling tetras showed unaltered RMR or SMR. In tetras only, sociability was negatively correlated with both SMR and RMR, but this relationship weakened when conspecifics were present—indicating that metabolic responses to conspecific presence differ among individuals of varying sociability. The contrasting metabolic responses to grouping in these species demonstrate that the energetic consequences of social proximity depend on the species’ evolved social structure. Given the lack of correlation between individual sociability and metabolic rates in cichlids, we suggest that sociability and maintenance metabolism may evolve independently, without underlying genetic covariation. This study highlights the intricate relationship between group living and individual energy expenditure, indicating that a species’ social system plays a significant role in determining the extent to which the metabolic response to social partners serves as an adaptive element of group living.
Calming effect, Conspecific, Group, Sociability, Social system
Fu, Cheng
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Cortese, Daphne
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Ojelade, Oluwaseun
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Munson, Amelia
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Gao, Le
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Fu, Shijian
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Nadler, Lauren E.
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Killen, Shaun S.
f83113a1-ca7d-47aa-89f4-a9833ecb381f
29 October 2025
Fu, Cheng
d7583cac-7a66-41f6-aa27-9910eaac39fa
Cortese, Daphne
d58903a2-69ab-4f8a-a2e2-e763f163260e
Ojelade, Oluwaseun
1fd26303-9504-408b-81f8-b06a87b313c7
Munson, Amelia
6367970e-e707-4d9c-b176-a46cc5b2256f
Gao, Le
527833f3-be67-4fae-ad7c-3a4ff67183db
Fu, Shijian
3cc2d454-cdd4-48d8-93a7-63b26133bdc2
Nadler, Lauren E.
1d1f8e6a-e951-41f5-888c-cfcb4b4b19dc
Killen, Shaun S.
f83113a1-ca7d-47aa-89f4-a9833ecb381f
Fu, Cheng, Cortese, Daphne, Ojelade, Oluwaseun, Munson, Amelia, Gao, Le, Fu, Shijian, Nadler, Lauren E. and Killen, Shaun S.
(2025)
Not all company is comforting: metabolic consequences of conspecific presence depend on species’ social system in fish.
Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, 79 (12), [120].
(doi:10.1007/s00265-025-03663-8).
Abstract
Social animals may reduce their overall metabolic demand through group living due to a “calming effect”. However, it remains unclear whether the metabolic response of individuals to group members varies depending on the social system, and how individual sociability influences this response. We measured the metabolic rates of the territorial three-striped dwarf cichlid (Apistogramma trifasciata) and the shoaling cardinal tetra (Paracheirodon axelrodi) in the presence or absence of three conspecifics, examining the relationship between individual sociability and metabolic rates, with a focus on how sociability influences the metabolic response to conspecific presence. Territorial cichlids exhibited increased standard metabolic rate (SMR) and routine metabolic rate (RMR) in response to the presence of conspecifics, while shoaling tetras showed unaltered RMR or SMR. In tetras only, sociability was negatively correlated with both SMR and RMR, but this relationship weakened when conspecifics were present—indicating that metabolic responses to conspecific presence differ among individuals of varying sociability. The contrasting metabolic responses to grouping in these species demonstrate that the energetic consequences of social proximity depend on the species’ evolved social structure. Given the lack of correlation between individual sociability and metabolic rates in cichlids, we suggest that sociability and maintenance metabolism may evolve independently, without underlying genetic covariation. This study highlights the intricate relationship between group living and individual energy expenditure, indicating that a species’ social system plays a significant role in determining the extent to which the metabolic response to social partners serves as an adaptive element of group living.
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Accepted/In Press date: 20 October 2025
Published date: 29 October 2025
Keywords:
Calming effect, Conspecific, Group, Sociability, Social system
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Local EPrints ID: 508791
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/508791
ISSN: 0340-5443
PURE UUID: 6ab0cdeb-a3b1-42d3-90cb-ec382d3c3786
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Date deposited: 03 Feb 2026 17:50
Last modified: 04 Feb 2026 03:06
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Contributors
Author:
Cheng Fu
Author:
Daphne Cortese
Author:
Oluwaseun Ojelade
Author:
Amelia Munson
Author:
Le Gao
Author:
Shijian Fu
Author:
Lauren E. Nadler
Author:
Shaun S. Killen
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