Social familiarity improves fast-start escape performance in schooling fish

Lauren E Nadler,Paolo Domenici,Mark I Mccormick,Jacob L Johansen

doi:10.1038/s42003-021-02407-4

Abstract

Using social groups (i.e. schools) of the tropical damselfish Chromis viridis, we test how familiarity through repeated social interactions influences fast-start responses, the primary defensive behaviour in a range of taxa, including fish, sharks, and larval amphibians. We focus on reactivity through response latency and kinematic performance (i.e. agility and propulsion) following a simulated predator attack, while distinguishing between first and subsequent responders (direct response to stimulation versus response triggered by integrated direct and social stimulation, respectively). In familiar schools, first and subsequent responders exhibit shorter latency than unfamiliar individuals, demonstrating that familiarity increases reactivity to direct and, potentially, social stimulation. Further, familiarity modulates kinematic performance in subsequent responders, demonstrated by increased agility and propulsion. These findings demonstrate that the benefits of social recognition and memory may enhance individual fitness through greater survival of predator attacks.

Highlights

Using social groups of the tropical damselfish Chromis viridis, we test how familiarity through repeated social interactions influences fast-start responses, the primary defensive behaviour in a range of taxa, including fish, sharks, and larval amphibians
Prior to escape response testing, we confirmed that our study species achieves familiarity in a comparable time frame to another tropical fish species, the guppy Poecilia reticulata, using a choice test methodology[51] (Supplementary Fig. S1)
The present study illustrates the importance of social context in an individual’s ability to respond to threats. These results show that the group’s interaction history can substantially enhance individual escape performance following a predator attack, but comes at the expense of group cohesion and coordination

Summary

Introduction

Using social groups (i.e. schools) of the tropical damselfish Chromis viridis, we test how familiarity through repeated social interactions influences fast-start responses, the primary defensive behaviour in a range of taxa, including fish, sharks, and larval amphibians. Familiarity modulates kinematic performance in subsequent responders, demonstrated by increased agility and propulsion These findings demonstrate that the benefits of social recognition and memory may enhance individual fitness through greater survival of predator attacks. In diverse species including macaques and squirrels, individuals are more responsive to the auditory alarm vocalisations of familiar individuals than unfamiliar conspecifics[11,12]. These effects are likely to improve anti-predator behaviours. If M-cell functionality is lost through experimental ablation, rapid fast-start responses (e.g. latency

Methods

Results

Conclusion