Predation threat modifies relationships between metabolism and behavioural traits but not their ecological relevance in Chinese bream

Abstract

The aims of this study were to test whether the metabolism, behavioural traits, growth and survival under predation of a fish species phenotypically changed under predation threat with the particular emphasis on whether short-time predator exposure would amplify the relationships between metabolic rate and behavioural traits and their fitness consequences (growth and survival). We found that Chinese bream under predation threat for 20 days exhibited a lower specific growth rate (SGR), feeding rate (FR) and feeding efficiency (FE) but a higher standard metabolic rate (SMR) and survival when encountering predators compared to the bream in the no-predator group. Both activity and boldness showed no correlation to SMR in the no-predator group, while it was vice versa in the predator group according to Pearson correlation. It thus demonstrated that short-time predator exposure can mediate the relationships between metabolism and behavioural traits, suggesting that predation may play an important evolutionary role in modifying intraspecific behavioural differences via metabolism. However, no significant effect of predator treatment acted on relationships between behaviour traits and SMR according to ANCOVA, which possibly due to the small sample size of this study. Additionally, the SMR of both groups was positively correlated with survival under predation, whereas the relationships between SMR and fitness cost such as growth and survival are rather complicated and need further investigation.