Pubblicazione scientifica

Density‐dependent diel activity in stream‐dwelling Arctic charr Salvelinus alpinus

FILONE TECNOLOGICO	TEMA
produzione e raccolta
trasformazione e commercializzazione

RIASSUNTO

Abstract

Intraspecific competition plays a significant role in shaping how animals use and share habitats in space and time. However, the way individuals may modify their diel activity in response to increased competition has received limited attention. We used juvenile (age 1+) Arctic charr Salvelinus alpinus to test the prediction that individuals at high population density are more active and distribute their foraging activity over a greater portion of the 24‐h cycle than individuals at low population density. Individually tagged fish were stocked in seminatural stream enclosures at low (2 fish/m2) and high (6 fish/m2) density. During each of two 2‐week experimental rounds, activity of all fish within each enclosure was recorded every 3 h over seven 24‐h cycles. At high density, fish were more active and distributed their activity over a greater portion of the 24‐h cycle, with increased activity particularly at crepuscular times. Fluctuations in ecological conditions (e.g., water temperature and light intensity) also affected activity. Fish at high density grew as fast as fish at low density. This study demonstrates that individuals exhibit a degree of behavioral flexibility in their response to changes in ecological conditions and suggests that intraspecific competition can cause animals to modify temporal aspects of their activity to gain access to resources and maintain growth.

DATA

Data di pubblicazione: 13/05/2016

AUTORI

FINGERLE AMY
LARRANAGA NICOLAS
STEINGRIMSSON STEFAN OLI

ENTE DI AFFERENZA

DEPT AQUACULTURE & FISH BIOLOGY HOLAR UNIV COLLEGE SAU ARKROKUR ICELAND

RIVISTA

Ecology and Evolution, 6(12), 3965-3976

IMPACT FACTOR

2,540

indietro