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Behavioral variation shows heritability in juvenile brown trout Salmo trutta

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Abstract

Animal personalities (sometimes referred also as coping styles) and their fitness consequences are currently among the most intensively explored subjects in behavioral ecology. To estimate the evolvability and adaptability of individually consistent behavioral variation, there is a crucial need to quantify the genetics underlying personality. Here, we experimentally studied the repeatability of various individual behaviors and then estimated heritability of formed boldness, exploration, and aggression components in juvenile brown trout Salmo trutta in standardized laboratory environment. Principal component analysis indicated that individually recorded behaviors were described by two personality axes: the first reflecting boldness, exploration, and aggression and the second tendency to freeze. These personality components, as well as the originally recorded behaviors, were statistically significantly repeatable over time. The latter PC, but not the first one, was statistically significantly heritable, though at low level (h 2 = 0.142 ± 0.096). These results suggest that additive genetic variation underlies phenotypically consistent behavioral patterns, proposing that any selection acting on behavior, stress tolerance, or correlated traits has a potential to induce evolution in fish personality.

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Acknowledgments

This research has been supported by the Academy of Finland (project 127398 to R.K. and A.V.) and by Jenny and Antti Wihuri Foundation and Kone Foundation (to M.J.). We thank the staff of the FGFRI Kainuu Fish Research Station for the maintenance of the fish and for the help in running the experiments. We also thank Niels Dingemanse and Petri Niemelä for the encouraging discussions and Alison Bell, Pierre Bize, and anonymous referees for their comments on the earlier version of the manuscript. Handling and rearing of fish were conducted in accordance with the National Animal Experiment Board (ESAVI/2458/04.10.03/2011). All animal experimentation reported meets the ABS/ASAB guidelines for ethical treatment of animals.

Ethical standards

All the experiments comply with the current Finnish legislation.

Conflict of interest

The authors have no conflict of interest to declare.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biology, University of Eastern Finland, P.O. Box 111, 80101, Joensuu, Finland

    Raine Kortet & Anssi Vainikka

  2. Biometrical Genetics, MTT Agrifood Research Finland, Jokioinen, Finland

    Matti Janhunen

  3. Joensuu Game and Fisheries Research, Finnish Game and Fisheries Research Institute, Yliopistonkatu 6, 80100, Joensuu, Finland

    Jorma Piironen

  4. Kainuu Fisheries Research, Finnish Game and Fisheries Research Institute, Manamansalontie 90, 88300, Paltamo, Finland

    Pekka Hyvärinen

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  1. Raine Kortet
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  2. Anssi Vainikka
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Correspondence to Raine Kortet.

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Communicated by J. Lindström

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Kortet, R., Vainikka, A., Janhunen, M. et al. Behavioral variation shows heritability in juvenile brown trout Salmo trutta . Behav Ecol Sociobiol 68, 927–934 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00265-014-1705-z

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