CCMAR - Centro e Ciências do Mar, Universidade do Algarve, Faro, Portugal.
ISE - Institute of Science and Environment, University of Saint Joseph, Macau, China.
J Fish Biol. 2021 May;98(5):1217-1233. doi: 10.1111/jfb.14667. Epub 2021 Jan 24.
Fishes show remarkably diverse aggressive behaviour. Aggression is expressed to secure resources; adjusting aggression levels according to context is key to avoid negative consequences for fitness and survival. Nonetheless, despite its importance, the physiological basis of aggression in fishes is still poorly understood. Several reports suggest hormonal modulation of aggression, particularly by androgens, but contradictory studies have been published. Studies exploring the role of chemical communication in aggressive behaviour are also scant, and the pheromones involved remain to be unequivocally characterized. This is surprising as chemical communication is the most ancient form of information exchange and plays a variety of other roles in fishes. Furthermore, the study of chemical communication and aggression is relevant at the evolutionary, ecological and economic levels. A few pioneering studies support the hypothesis that aggressive behaviour, at least in some teleosts, is modulated by "dominance pheromones" that reflect the social status of the sender, but there is little information on the identity of the compounds involved. This review aims to provide a global view of aggressive behaviour in fishes and its underlying physiological mechanisms including the involvement of chemical communication, and discusses the potential use of dominance pheromones to improve fish welfare. Methodological considerations and future research directions are also outlined.
鱼类表现出显著多样的攻击行为。攻击行为是为了争夺资源而表现出来的；根据环境调整攻击水平是避免对适应性和生存产生负面影响的关键。尽管如此，尽管其重要性，鱼类攻击行为的生理基础仍知之甚少。有几项报告表明，激素调节攻击行为，特别是雄激素，但也有相互矛盾的研究。探索化学通讯在攻击行为中的作用的研究也很少，涉及的信息素仍有待明确描述。这令人惊讶，因为化学通讯是最古老的信息交换形式，在鱼类中还发挥着多种其他作用。此外，化学通讯和攻击行为的研究在进化、生态和经济层面上都具有重要意义。一些开创性的研究支持这样一种假设，即攻击行为，至少在一些硬骨鱼中，是由反映发送者社会地位的“优势信息素”调节的，但关于涉及的化合物的信息很少。这篇综述旨在提供鱼类攻击行为及其潜在的生理机制的全局视图，包括化学通讯的参与，并讨论了利用优势信息素来改善鱼类福利的潜力。还概述了方法学考虑因素和未来的研究方向。
