Abstract:
In nature, the personality of animals is closely related to its food competitiveness ability, however, personality differences are beneficial to cooperation among group members and the formation of group decision-making. In order to explore the influence of fish personality characteristics (boldness, sociability) on schooling behavior and the potential correlation between personality and food competitiveness ability, juvenile qingbo (
Spinibarbus sinensis) was selected to measure boldness, sociability, food competitiveness ability and growth performance in singleton, movement characteristics of individual fish during schooling and food competitiveness ability in schooling. The results indicated: (1) The boldness and sociability of qingbo had a good repeatability, and there was a negative correlation between them. However, there was no correlation between personality and food competitiveness ability. (2) Individuals with high sociability have lower percentage of movement time and synchronization of speed. (3) Individuals who were more active in schooling and farther away from the centroid of the shoal tended to have higher food competition ability. The results suggested that: (1) Sociability of experimental fish is well preserved in schooling, and the personality difference will have an important influence on collective moving characteristics. (2) In schooling behavior, the heterogeneity of movement characteristics of collective members can lead to differences in their food competitiveness ability, which further indicates the importance of individual heterogeneity to group life.