Abstract
The behavior of organisms can be subject to human‐induced selection such as that arising from fishing. Angling is expected to induce mortality on fish with bold and explorative behavior, which are behaviors commonly linked to a high standard metabolic rate. We studied the transgenerational response of brown trout (Salmo trutta) to angling‐induced selection by examining the behavior and metabolism of 1‐year‐old parr between parents that were or were not captured by experimental fly fishing. We performed the angling selection experiment on both a wild and a captive population, and compared the offspring for standard metabolic rate and behavior under predation risk in common garden conditions. Angling had population‐specific effects on risk taking and exploration tendency, but no effects on standard metabolic rate. Our study adds to the evidence that angling can induce transgenerational responses on fish personality. However, understanding the mechanisms of divergent responses between the populations requires further study on the selectivity of angling in various conditions.
Highlights
Survival selection by hunting and fishing can differ from natural selection patterns and induce phenotypic changes in various traits over time (Fugère & Hendry, 2018)
Our goal was to test whether angling could induce selection in behavioral traits measured under authentic predator cues or in standard metabolic rate (SMR) by studying one-year-old offspring of brown trout (Salmo trutta) from both captive and wild origins
To consider potential sex differences in the studied traits, we identified the sex of fish using PCR amplification of the sexually dimorphic sdY locus, which identifies the correct sex in brown trout with nearly 100% accuracy (Quéméré et al, 2014), details in Appendix S1
Summary
Survival selection by hunting and fishing can differ from natural selection patterns and induce phenotypic changes in various traits over time (Fugère & Hendry, 2018). Fisheries-induced selection can occur on traits that explain vulnerability to fishing and on traits that enable the fish to reproduce before becoming captured (Cooke et al, 2007; Hollins et al, 2018; Redpath et al, 2010; Sutter et al, 2012; Uusi-Heikkilä et al, 2008). In the context of recreational fisheries, selection is predicted to act mainly on behavior, as the vulnerability to being captured depends on fish behavior, and capture leads to either survival costs or other nonlethal fitness costs (Lennox et al, 2017; Uusi-Heikkilä et al, 2008). Vulnerability to capture by passive fishing gear, including angling, depends on traits related to risk taking and curiosity, such as boldness and exploration tendency
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