Comment: I would like to present the preliminary results for boldness/exploration of the fall and the correlation with physiology results: glucose and cortisol. It looks from what we did with Maelenn that boldness and exploration are repeatable but not correlated with glucose (doesn’t seem correlated with cortisol either from the couple graphs that I made). I might have time over the summer to do some more stats. If I don’t find any correlation, it also opens the debate on: do the stress induced by netting and the boldness test induce a similar response? It also raises the question of repeatability of the cortisol and glucose measurements.
Abstract:
An increasing number of studies are investigating physiological, neural, morphological, or behavioural indicators of welfare in fish. Yet, the links between these traits remain poorly understood. Animal personality refers to consistent individual differences in behaviour across time and contexts. Studies have shown that several behavioural traits in fish, such as boldness and exploration, exhibit such consistency. In some species, these traits have been shown to correlate with fitness, and indicators of welfare. However, few studies have investigated the correlation between these traits. Consequently, the underlying mechanisms shaping fish personality remain unclear. To address this gap, we raised Arctic charr (Savelinus alpinus) from an Icelandic aquaculture strain, representing six different families, in either plain tanks or tanks containing a shelter. Tagged individuals were tested for behaviour three times in an open field test and in an emergence test respectively. Following the behavioural trials, the same fish were exposed to a standardized netting stressor, and blood samples were collected either 40 minutes or 2 hours 40 minutes post-stress. We first assessed the consistency of exploration and boldness. Then, we investigated the influence of genetic (family) and environmental (tank condition) factors on personality traits and physiological stress responses. Finally, we explored correlations between traits. This study highlights the relevance of understanding the physiological underpinnings of personality traits in relation to fish welfare. The project and its preliminary results regarding the factors influencing physiology and behaviour, as well as the correlations between these traits will be presented.