6533b7dbfe1ef96bd12701f0

RESEARCH PRODUCT

Proactive avoidance behaviour and pace-of-life syndrome in Atlantic salmon

Børge DamsgårdLars O.e. EbbessonØYvind ØVerliErik HöglundMarnix GorissenSonia ReyTor Hatten Evensen

subject

1001life historycoping stylesmedia_common.quotation_subjectZoologycortisolstress0501 psychology and cognitive sciences050102 behavioral science & comparative psychology14. Life underwaterSalmolcsh:SciencePopulation dynamics of fisheriesOxygen saturation (medicine)media_commonSmoltificationMultidisciplinarybiologyBoldnesshypoxia05 social sciencesStressorHypoxia (environmental)Biology (Whole Organism)145804 agricultural and veterinary sciencesbiology.organism_classificationPeer review202personality040102 fisheries0401 agriculture forestry and fisherieslcsh:QOrganismal Animal PhysiologyResearch Article

description

Individuals in a fish population differ in key life-history traits such as growth rate and body size. This raises the question of whether such traits cluster along a fast-slow growth continuum according to a pace-of-life syndrome (POLS). Fish species like salmonids may develop a bimodal size distribution, providing an opportunity to study the relationships between individual growth and behavioural responsiveness. Here we test whether proactive characteristics (bold behaviour coupled with low post-stress cortisol production) are related to fast growth and developmental rate in Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar . Boldness was tested in a highly controlled two-tank hypoxia test were oxygen levels were gradually decreased in one of the tanks. All fish became inactive close to the bottom at 70% oxygen saturation. At 40% oxygen saturation level a fraction of the fish actively sought to avoid hypoxia. A proactive stress coping style was verified by lower cortisol response to a standardized stressor. Two distinct clusters of bimodal growth trajectories were identified, with fast growth and early smoltification in 80% of the total population. There was a higher frequency of proactive than reactive individuals in this fast-developing fraction of fish. The smolts were associated with higher post-stress plasma cortisol than parr, and the proactive smolts leaving hypoxia had significant lower post-stress cortisol than the stayers. The study demonstrated a link between a proactive coping and fast growth and developmental ratio and suggests that selection for domestic production traits promotes this trait cluster.

10.5061/dryad.4187519https://hdl.handle.net/2066/203701