Behavioral responses of a highly domesticated, predator naïve rainbow trout to chemical cues of predation

摘要: Abstract Fisheries management agencies allocate significant proportions of available resources to rear fish for stocking in lakes, rivers, and reservoirs. However, domesticated reared a hatchery environment may fail exhibit normal antipredator behavior can have relatively low survival when released into natural habitats. Exposing predator cues provide information about their capacity appropriate behavioral responses has the potential enhance subsequent wild. We investigated immediate an acute exposure chemical predation highly domesticated, hatchery-reared rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss. used frequently stocked economically important strain trout, German Rainbow (GR), which is resistant whirling disease but particularly susceptible predation. exposed individual alarm from conspecifics, kairomones brown Salmo trutta predators, combination two cues. Fish these exhibited changes expected reduce risk, including reduction time spent actively swimming exploring, increase frozen. Thus, retain innate ability express threat Future research should investigate whether repeated setting could translate long-term enhancement increased rates, as this would rapid, simple cost way efficiency programs recreational purposes and, more importantly, native restoration conservation.