Benefits of kin association: related and familiar zebrafish larvae (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Danio rerio</Emphasis>) show improved growth |
| |
Authors: | Gabriele Gerlach Andrea Hodgins-Davis Bradley MacDonald Rebecca C Hannah |
| |
Institution: | (1) Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, MA 02543, USA |
| |
Abstract: | Zebrafish (Danio rerio) larvae prefer the olfactory cues of kin to non-kin. We examined the potential benefits of kin preference by comparing growth
rate, shoaling, and aggressive behavior in juvenile zebrafish housed in groups of either familiar kin or unfamiliar non-kin.
Over an observation period of 5 days, the animals grew 33% more in kin groups; however, neither shoaling nor the frequency
of aggressive interactions was different in groups of related versus unrelated individuals. Shoaling behavior increased with
increasing observation time and increasing age, while aggressive behavior remained the same. We conclude that associating
with kin probably creates a less stressful environment that allows for higher growth rates, which can lead to higher direct
fitness based on increased survival and earlier reproduction. Kin recognition leading to kin-structured groups may therefore
be under positive selection. |
| |
Keywords: | Kin recognition Kin selection Danio rerio Shoaling Aggression Growth |
本文献已被 SpringerLink 等数据库收录! |
|