Small increases in group size improve small shoals' response to water flow in zebrafish.

ABSTRACT: Social context may influence the perception of sensory cues and the ability to display refined behavioral responses. Previous work suggests that effective responses to environmental cues can be contingent on having a sufficient number of individuals in a group. Thus, the changes in group size may have profound impacts, particularly on the behavior of small social groups. Using zebrafish (Danio rerio), here we examined how changes in group size influence the ability to respond to changes in water flow. We found that fish in relatively larger groups displayed stronger rheotaxis even when comparing pairs of fish with groups of four fish, indicating that a small increase in group size can enhance the responsiveness to environmental change. Individual fish in relatively larger groups als

SUBMITTER: Suriyampola PS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9269864 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature