TY - JOUR
T1 - Big, hungry fish get the lure
T2 - Size and food availability determine capture over boldness and exploratory behaviors
AU - Keiling, Toniann D.
AU - Louison, Michael J.
AU - Suski, Cory D.
N1 - Funding Information:
This work was supported by the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign and the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture Hatch Project (grant number ILLU-875-940 ).
Publisher Copyright:
© 2020
PY - 2020/7
Y1 - 2020/7
N2 - Fish behavioral phenotypes have previously been shown to influence capture by recreational anglers, and artificial selection of specific phenotypes can occur. However, little is known about how environmental conditions influence which phenotypes are most vulnerable. This study sought to define the interaction between behavioral phenotype and prey availability to influence angling vulnerability using largemouth bass, Micropterus salmoides (Lacepède). Behavioral assays to define boldness and exploratory phenotype were performed, and fish were transferred to one of two ponds for angling; fathead minnows, Pimphales promelas (Rafinesque) were stocked as prey into one pond while the other pond had no minnows. Behavioral phenotype did not influence capture, regardless of prey availability, and catch rates were higher in the pond that had no minnows relative to the pond with minnows. Size was the strongest predictor of capture, with larger fish most likely to be captured, despite a narrow range of total lengths across all individuals. Findings suggest that angling of largemouth bass is not influenced by exploration and boldness behavioral phenotypes, no matter the prey density.
AB - Fish behavioral phenotypes have previously been shown to influence capture by recreational anglers, and artificial selection of specific phenotypes can occur. However, little is known about how environmental conditions influence which phenotypes are most vulnerable. This study sought to define the interaction between behavioral phenotype and prey availability to influence angling vulnerability using largemouth bass, Micropterus salmoides (Lacepède). Behavioral assays to define boldness and exploratory phenotype were performed, and fish were transferred to one of two ponds for angling; fathead minnows, Pimphales promelas (Rafinesque) were stocked as prey into one pond while the other pond had no minnows. Behavioral phenotype did not influence capture, regardless of prey availability, and catch rates were higher in the pond that had no minnows relative to the pond with minnows. Size was the strongest predictor of capture, with larger fish most likely to be captured, despite a narrow range of total lengths across all individuals. Findings suggest that angling of largemouth bass is not influenced by exploration and boldness behavioral phenotypes, no matter the prey density.
KW - Artificial selection
KW - Capture rate
KW - Environmental context
KW - Growth rate
KW - Size
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U2 - 10.1016/j.fishres.2020.105554
DO - 10.1016/j.fishres.2020.105554
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85081233826
SN - 0165-7836
VL - 227
JO - Fisheries Research
JF - Fisheries Research
M1 - 105554
ER -