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Comparative aggression and dominance of Oreochromis niloticus (Linnaeus, 1758) and Oreochromis mortimeri (Trewavas, 1966) from paired contest in aquaria

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Abstract

Oreochromis niloticus was introduced in Lake Kariba, and it displaced the endemic Oreochromis mortimeri from many areas of the lake. Studying the interaction between the two species sheds light on the nature of the displacement process. The levels of aggression within and between the two species and the effect of relative size were studied in the laboratory. O. mortimeri attacked O. niloticus first in most of the encounters whether it was the bigger or smaller of the pair. In encounters where O. niloticus was smaller, 2 (8.3%) O. niloticus made the first bite and 8 (40.0%) made the first bite when O. niloticus was the bigger of the pair. Over a 30-min encounter, O. mortimeri was dominant and delivered significantly more bites (7.79 ± 2.31 bites) than O. niloticus (4.53 ± 1.53 bites) (P = 0.03, t = 2.18). Unlike O. mortimeri, O. niloticus attacked first only when it was considerably bigger than the opponent. The association of large body size with higher aggression may mean that O. niloticus, which grows faster and larger than O. mortimeri, has size advantage. Therefore, interaction between the two species may be complex, and aggression may be just one of the factors that affect the interaction of these fish species.

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Acknowledgments

We would like express gratitude to Lake Kariba Fisheries Research Institute and the Department of Biological Sciences of the University of Zimbabwe in Harare where this research was carried out. We are also thankful to all who helped in the capture and keeping of the live fish, and in particular, the late Mr Joel Chisaka and Mrs Margaret Gariromo. Much thanks to Dr. J. H. Wanink, Prof. J. J. Vedeler, Prof. C. H. D. Magadza and Ms Audrey Chifamba who provided invaluable assistance in the in preparation of this paper.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biological Sciences, University of Zimbabwe, P. O. Box MP 167, Mount Pleasant, Harare, Zimbabwe

    Portia Chiyedza Chifamba & Tendai Mauru

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  1. Portia Chiyedza Chifamba
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  2. Tendai Mauru
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Correspondence to Portia Chiyedza Chifamba.

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This research was approved by the Animal Research Ethics Committee in the Department of Livestock and Veterinary Services, Ministry of Agriculture, Mechanization and Irrigation Development. All procedures used in the research complied with the laws set out by the Animal Research Ethics Committee.

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Handling editor: Christian Sturmbauer

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Chifamba, P.C., Mauru, T. Comparative aggression and dominance of Oreochromis niloticus (Linnaeus, 1758) and Oreochromis mortimeri (Trewavas, 1966) from paired contest in aquaria. Hydrobiologia 788, 193–203 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-016-2997-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-016-2997-y

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