Behavioural individuality in clonal fish arises despite near-identical rearing conditions

2017/05/17 by David Bierbach, Kate L. Laskowski, Max Wolf · 1 voice · 2 citations
Agricultural and Biological Sciences · Environmental Science · Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology · #Animal Behavior and Reproduction #Fish Ecology and Management Studies #Evolution and Genetic Dynamics

paper · pdf · doi:10.1038/ncomms15361

openalex publication_date 2017/05/17 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/31

Abstract

Behavioural individuality is thought to be caused by differences in genes and/or environmental conditions. Therefore, if these sources of variation are removed, individuals are predicted to develop similar phenotypes lacking repeatable individual variation. Moreover, even among genetically identical individuals, direct social interactions are predicted to be a powerful factor shaping the development of individuality. We use tightly controlled ontogenetic experiments with clonal fish, the Amazon molly (Poecilia formosa), to test whether near-identical rearing conditions and lack of social contact dampen individuality. In sharp contrast to our predictions, we find that (i) substantial individual variation in behaviour emerges among genetically identical individuals isolated directly after birth into highly standardized environments and (ii) increasing levels of social experience during ontogeny do not affect levels of individual behavioural variation. In contrast to the current research paradigm, which focuses on genes and/or environmental drivers, our findings suggest that individuality might be an inevitable and potentially unpredictable outcome of development.

Citations

• Behavioral Syndromes: An Integrative Overview
• The repeatability of behaviour: a meta-analysis

Cited by

• Single-Cell Resolution of Individual Variation in Hypothalamic Neurons Allows Targeted Manipulation Affecting Social Motivation
• Effects of Cheliped Amputation on the Personality of Crayfish

Discussions

• Cool! I do remember attending a session in ECP21 were this paper (doi.org/10.1038/ncom...) was discussed, cool stuff! Would you think that stocasticity might be the key factor here? And could it actua [bsky, 1 points, 1 comments]

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