The genetics of fish behavior

This is an exciting time to study the genetics of behavior (Boake et al., 2002; Fitzpatrick et al., 2005; Robinson et al., 2005). Until recently, the powerful tools necessary to unders tand genetic influences on behavior were available for only a few model organisms which were not widely studied by behavioral ecologists (Fitzpatrick et al., 2005; Robinson et al., 2005). Moreover, the behaviors that could be studied were often simple and measured in laboratory environments rather than in the field. From a genetic perspective, behavior was considered to be too subjective to measure, too susceptible to envi ronmenta l influences, too plastic and not repeatable. Fear of accusations of genetic determinism and carryovers from the troubling political implications of eugenics and socio-biology might also have cont r ibuted to the under - representa t ion of behavior among traits studied from a genetic perspective (Lewontin et al., 1984).