Familiarity affects social network structure and discovery of prey patch locations in foraging stickleback shoals.

ABSTRACT: Numerous factors affect the fine-scale social structure of animal groups, but it is unclear how important such factors are in determining how individuals encounter resources. Familiarity affects shoal choice and structure in many social fishes. Here, we show that familiarity between shoal members of sticklebacks (Gasterosteus aculeatus) affects both fine-scale social organization and the discovery of resources. Social network analysis revealed that sticklebacks remained closer to familiar than to unfamiliar individuals within the same shoal. Network-based diffusion analysis revealed that there was a strong untransmitted social effect on patch discovery, with individuals tending to discover a task sooner if a familiar individual from their group had previously done so than if an unfamiliar

SUBMITTER: Atton N 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4100505 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature