Academic Scientific JournalsExploration in a behaviourally diverse potamodromous fish is not influenced by changes in feeding predictability
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.26881/oahs-2026.1.14Keywords:
Barbus barbus, angling subsidy, open arena experiment, feeding pattern, food distributionAbstract
Recreational angling can involve the regular use of energy-rich, formulated baits. These angling subsidies can represent a significant anthropogenic input into freshwaters and could alter the exploratory and foraging behaviour of individuals. To assess how angling bait exposure influences exploratory behaviour in novel environments, the effect of variable food distribution (random vs predictable distribution) was assessed on the body condition and exploratory behaviour of European barbel Barbus barbus, a species of high phenotypic diversity in exploratory behaviour and angling bait consumption. Using hatchery-reared fish, exploratory behaviours were assessed in open arena (OA) experiments following an initial period of fixed food distribution, after which the food distribution pattern was switched to assess their plasticity in exploratory behaviour. Following initial food exposure, all fish showed increased condition, with significantly higher condition in the predictable feeding group. Although exploration time was higher in the random feeding group in both OA experiments, these differences were not significant according to food distribution and fish condition. Although hatchery-reared juvenile fish might differ in their behavioural expression versus wild, adult fish, this study nonetheless suggests that short-term exposure to different food distributions does not alter barbel exploratory behaviour, with individual differences more likely driven by inherent behavioural traits.
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