ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, Australia.
College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, Australia.
Commun Biol. 2021 Jul 20;4(1):897. doi: 10.1038/s42003-021-02407-4.
Using social groups (i.e. schools) of the tropical damselfish Chromis viridis, we test how familiarity through repeated social interactions influences fast-start responses, the primary defensive behaviour in a range of taxa, including fish, sharks, and larval amphibians. We focus on reactivity through response latency and kinematic performance (i.e. agility and propulsion) following a simulated predator attack, while distinguishing between first and subsequent responders (direct response to stimulation versus response triggered by integrated direct and social stimulation, respectively). In familiar schools, first and subsequent responders exhibit shorter latency than unfamiliar individuals, demonstrating that familiarity increases reactivity to direct and, potentially, social stimulation. Further, familiarity modulates kinematic performance in subsequent responders, demonstrated by increased agility and propulsion. These findings demonstrate that the benefits of social recognition and memory may enhance individual fitness through greater survival of predator attacks.
利用热带雀鲷 Chromis viridis 的社交群体（即学校），我们测试了通过重复的社交互动熟悉度如何影响快速启动反应，这是一系列分类群（包括鱼类、鲨鱼和幼年两栖动物）的主要防御行为。我们专注于通过反应潜伏期和运动学表现（即敏捷性和推进力）来区分首次和后续响应者（对刺激的直接响应与对直接和社交刺激综合触发的响应）来研究反应性。在熟悉的学校中，首次和后续响应者的潜伏期比不熟悉的个体短，这表明熟悉度增加了对直接刺激的反应性，并且可能增加了对社交刺激的反应性。此外，熟悉度调节了后续响应者的运动学表现，表现为敏捷性和推进力的提高。这些发现表明，社交识别和记忆的好处可能通过增加对捕食者攻击的生存能力来提高个体的适应性。
