Observation of Agonistic Behavior in Pacific White Shrimp () and Transcriptome Analysis.

Agonistic behavior has been identified as a limiting factor in the development of intensive aquaculture. However, the characteristics and molecular mechanisms underlying agonistic behavior in remain unclear. In this study, we quantified agonistic behavior through a behavioral observation system and generated a comprehensive database of eyestalk and brain ganglion tissues obtained from both aggressive and nonaggressive employing transcriptome analysis. The results showed that there were nine behavior patterns in which were correlated, and the fighting followed a specific process. Transcriptome analysis revealed 5083 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in eyestalk and 1239 DEGs in brain ganglion between aggressive and nonaggressive . Moreover, these DEGs were primarily enriched in the pathways related to the energy metabolism process and signal transduction. Specifically, the phototransduction (dme04745) signaling pathway emerges as a potential key pathway for the adjustment of the agonistic behavior. The () was screened out as a significant candidate gene within the phototransduction pathway. Therefore, these findings contribute to an enhanced comprehension of crustacean agonistic behavior and provide a theoretical basis for the selection and breeding of varieties suitable for high-density aquaculture environments.