Líffræðifélag Íslands - biologia.is
Líffræðiráðstefnan 2021

Erindi/veggspjald / Talk/poster E95

The correlation of personality scores between laboratory experiments and semi-wild observations, and its influence on movement and survival of Arctic char (Salvelinus alpinus)

Höfundar / Authors: Rosanne Beukeboom (1,2), Audrey Prat (2,3), Stefán Olí Steingrímsson (2), David Benhaïm (2)

Starfsvettvangur / Affiliations: 1. University of Iceland, 2. Holár University, 3. AgroParisTech

Kynnir / Presenter: Rosanne Beukeboom

Animals exhibit great variability in space use and movement and these differences are often repeatable on the individual level over time and context, which indicates that movement behavior might be linked to personality. Laboratory conditions may elicit unnatural behavior and may therefore under- or overestimate predictions of natural behaviors. This study combines laboratory, semi-natural and natural behavioral estimates at the individual level to (1) determine personality (e.g. boldness, activity, exploration) in stream-dwelling Arctic charr (Salvelinus alpinus), (2) verify whether behaviors are repeatable over time and across contexts, (3) determine the relationship between personality and movement/growth/survival in a natural stream. To achieve this, 96 charrs were caught in a stream in Northern Iceland, subjected to personality tests in the laboratory, observed in semi-natural enclosures, and subsequently tagged and released in their stream of origin, where they are currently followed on a weekly basis. This study will contribute fundamentally to the validation of currently used laboratory personality estimates to explain behavior and will give new insights into the integration of personality from an ecological perspective. In addition, better insight into individual space use patterns has important implications for the conservation and management of stream fish. Here, we present the methodological approach and preliminary results of this three-step experiment.