Little fish called Trinidad guppies have individual “personalities”, according to a study by the University of Exeter focused on elucidating their behavior in different situations.
The researchers tested whether differences could be measured in a “simple spectrum” of how these fish were risk-prone or not. But they found that variations between individuals were too complicated to be described in this way.
“The idea of a simple spectrum is often presented to explain the behavior of individuals in species such as Trinidad’s guppy,” said Tom Houslay of the Center for Ecology and Conservation (CEC) at the Penryn Campus of the University of Exeter in Cornwall.
“But our research shows that in reality it is much more complex.” For example, when placed in an unfamiliar environment, we find that guppies have several strategies to cope with this stressful situation – many try to hide, others try to escape, some explore with caution, and so on.
“The differences between them were consistent over time and in different situations, so while the behavior of all guppys changed depending on the situation – for example, increasingly cautious in more stressful situations – the relative differences between individuals remained intact” .
The study, published in the journal Functional Ecology, examined “coping styles” of guppies under conditions designed to cause varying levels of stress.
Mild stress was caused by the individual transfer of fish to an unknown tank, and higher levels of stress were caused by the addition of predatory bird or fish models.
The presence of predators had an effect on “average” behavior, making all guppies more cautious in general, but individuals still retained their distinct personalities.
“We are interested in why these diverse personalities exist, and the next phase of our research will focus on the genetics underlying the personality and traits associated with it.
“We want to know how personality relates to other facets of life, and to what extent this is driven by genetic rather than environmental influences.
“The goal is to gain insight into evolutionary processes, how different behavioral strategies could persist as species evolve.”
The article is titled: “Testing the stability of behavioral coping style through stress contexts in Trinidad’s guppy”.
Source: Europa press
