ORCID Profile
0000-0001-9597-6871
Current Organisation
University of St Andrews
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Publisher: The Royal Society
Date: 12-2018
DOI: 10.1098/RSOS.181132
Abstract: Despite the frequency with which mixed-species groups are observed in nature, studies of collective behaviour typically focus on single-species groups. Here, we quantify and compare the patterns of interactions between three fish species, threespine sticklebacks ( Gasterosteus aculeatus ), ninespine sticklebacks ( Pungitius pungitius ) and roach ( Rutilus rutilus ) in both single- and mixed-species shoals in the laboratory. Pilot data confirmed that the three species form both single- and mixed-species shoals in the wild. In our laboratory study, we found that single-species groups were more polarized than mixed-species groups, while single-species groups of threespine sticklebacks and roach were more cohesive than mixed shoals of these species. Furthermore, while there was no difference between the inter-in idual distances between threespine and ninespine sticklebacks within mixed-species groups, there was some evidence of segregation by species in mixed groups of threespine sticklebacks and roach. There were differences between treatments in mean pairwise transfer entropy, and in particular we identify species-differences in information use within the mixed-species groups, and, similarly, differences in responses to conspecifics and heterospecifics in mixed-species groups. We speculate that differences in the patterns of interactions between species in mixed-species groups may determine patterns of fission and fusion in such groups.
Publisher: The Royal Society
Date: 07-2017
DOI: 10.1098/RSOS.170043
Abstract: Collective motion describes the global properties of moving groups of animals and the self-organized, coordinated patterns of in idual behaviour that produce them. We examined the group-level patterns and local interactions between in iduals in wild, free-ranging shoals of three-spine sticklebacks, Gasterosteus aculeatus . Our data reveal that the highest frequencies of near-neighbour encounters occur at between one and two body lengths from a focal fish, with the peak frequency alongside a focal in idual. Fish also show the highest alignment with these laterally placed in iduals, and generally with animals in front of themselves. Furthermore, fish are more closely matched in size, speed and orientation to their near neighbours than to more distant neighbours, indicating local organization within groups. Among the group-level properties reported here, we find that polarization is strongly influenced by group speed, but also the variation in speed among in iduals and the nearest neighbour distances of group members. While we find no relationship between group order and group size, we do find that larger groups tend to have lower nearest neighbour distances, which in turn may be important in maintaining group order.
Publisher: The Royal Society
Date: 06-2016
DOI: 10.1098/RSOS.160316
Abstract: Local specialization can be advantageous for in iduals and may increase the resilience of the species to environmental change. However, there may be trade-offs between morphological responses and physiological performance and behaviour. Our aim was to test whether habitat-specific morphology of stickleback ( Gasterosteus aculeatus ) interacts with physiological performance and behaviour at different salinities. We rejected the hypothesis that deeper body shape of fish from habitats with high predation pressure led to decreases in locomotor performance. However, there was a trade-off between deeper body shape and muscle quality. Muscle of deeper-bodied fish produced less force than that of shallow-bodied saltmarsh fish. Nonetheless, saltmarsh fish had lower swimming performance, presumably because of lower muscle mass overall coupled with smaller caudal peduncles and larger heads. Saltmarsh fish performed better in saline water (20 ppt) relative to freshwater and relative to fish from freshwater habitats. However, exposure to salinity affected shoaling behaviour of fish from all habitats and shoals moved faster and closer together compared with freshwater. We show that habitat modification can alter phenotypes of native species, but local morphological specialization is associated with trade-offs that may reduce its benefits.
Publisher: Brill
Date: 2013
DOI: 10.1163/1568539X-00003115
Abstract: The ability of animals to disperse towards their original home range following displacement has been demonstrated in a number of species. However, little is known about the homing ability of three-spine sticklebacks ( Gasterosteus aculeatus ), an important model species in behavioural ecology. In addition, few studies have examined the role of social facilitation in relation to homing behaviour in fishes. We examined homing behaviour of sticklebacks displaced over distances of between 80 m and 160 m in land-drains with directional water flow. Fish were translocated from their original capture site, tagged and then released either in groups or solitarily. We performed recapture transects either one or two days later. Data provided by recaptured sticklebacks show that the fish dispersed in the direction of their original capture site. Although fish translocated downstream typically moved further than those translocated upstream, both dispersed towards their original capture site. There was no difference between fish released solitarily or in groups in their homing ability and indeed there was little evidence that fish translocated in groups remained together following their release. The homing ability of the fish was demonstrated by the finding that up to 80% of fish returned to their home ranges within two days of release over a distance equivalent to approximately 5000 body lengths of these small fish.
Location: United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
No related grants have been discovered for Mike Webster.