An investigation of personality in the Creek Chub, Semotilus atromaculatus
Data files
Nov 04, 2025 version files 19.94 KB
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personality.csv
7.33 KB
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README.md
5.60 KB
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trials.separate.csv
7.02 KB
Abstract
Intraspecific variation in personality traits is increasingly recognized as an important driver of ecological processes, particularly within the context of species invasions. However, relatively few studies have investigated personality in native fauna with more localized dispersal patterns, and information regarding the existence of personality in stream fishes native to the southeastern United States is particularly lacking. In this study, we investigated personality in a native and widespread minnow species, the Creek Chub (Semotilus atromaculatus). Because of its piscivorous diet, use of its nests by nest-associating minnows, and its role as a colonizer of intermittent streams, the Creek Chub is an appropriate species for investigating the broad importance of personality-dependent processes to stream communities. We identified personality traits by estimating the repeatability of sociability, boldness, exploration, and activity in two separate behavioral assays, and interpreted correlations between traits as evidence of behavioral syndromes. We did not detect repeatability for measures of sociability, possibly due to predatory interactions within this species. However, boldness, exploration, and activity were significantly repeatable and positively correlated, pointing to the existence of a bold-exploratory-active syndrome in this species. Larger individuals tended to be less active, and, despite a relatively small sample size, we detected significant differences between source populations for measures of boldness. This is the first study to identify the existence of a behavioral syndrome in Creek Chub and points to the importance of considering the role of personality in ecological processes involving native fauna.
https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.sj3tx96ds
Description of the data and file structure
Data was collected for a study investigating whether personality exists in the Creek Chub, Semotilus atromaculatus.
Files and variables
File: personality.csv
Description: Trait measurement data for behaviors, intrinsic (length, weight, condition, sex), and extrinsic (source population, date) variables.
Variables
- sample_ID: Identification number for individuals (missing numbers were used in a separate pilot study, used in the stimulus shoal, or excluded from analyses)
- test_ID: An identification number for each test subject
- soc.1: Proportion of the total test time that an individual spent behaving socially during their first sociability assay
- soc.2: Proportion of the total test time that an individual spent behaving socially during their second sociability assay
- mean.soc.prop: The proportion of time an individual spent acting socially, averaged across the two assays
- soc.1.raw: The amount of time (in seconds) that an individual spent acting socially during their first sociability assay
- soc.2.raw: The amount of time (in seconds) that an individual spent acting socially during their second sociability assay
- mean.soc.raw: The time an individual spent (in seconds) acting socially, average across the two assays
- soc.drop: Denotes whether an individual was considered a dropout during analyses involving sociability (0 = no, 1 = yes)
- bold.1: The amount of time (in seconds) that an individual spent acting boldly during their first assay
- bold.2: The amount of time (in seconds) that an individual spent acting boldly during their second assay
- mean.bold: The amount of time (in seconds) that an individual spent acting boldly, averaged across both assays
- bold.non_zero: Denotes whether individuals were acting boldly in at least one assay (0 = no, 1 = yes)
- exp.1.prop: The proportion of squares in the gridded system that an individual entered (explored) during their first assay
- exp.2.prop: The proportion of squares in the gridded system that an individual entered (explored) during their second assay
- mean.exp.prop: The proportion of squares in the gridded system that an individual entered (explored), averaged across both assays
- exp.1.raw: The number of squares in the gridded system that an individual entered (explored) during their first assay
- exp.2.raw: The number of squares in the gridded system that an individual entered (explored) during their second assay
- mean.exp.raw: The number of squares in the gridded system that an individual entered (explored), averaged across both assays
- exp.non_zero: Denotes whether an individual entered (explored) additional squares in the gridded system during at least one assay (0 = no, 1 = yes)
- act.1.prop: The proportion of frames in which an individual was actively swimming during their first assay
- act.2.prop: The proportion of frames in which an individual was actively swimming during their second assay
- mean.act.prop: The proportion of frames in which an individual was actively swimming, averaged across both assays
- act.1.raw: The number of frames in which an individual was actively swimming during their first assay
- act.2.raw: The number of frames in which an individual was actively swimming during their first assay
- mean.act.raw: The number of frames in which an individual was actively swimming, averaged across both assays
- act.non_zero: Denotes whether an individual swam actively in at least one frame (0 = no, 1 = yes)
- date: The day of the year (chronological) on which an individual was collected
- population: Denotes the source population from which an individual was collected
- length: Standard length (centimeters)
- weight: Weight (grams)
- condition: Coefficient of Condition
- sex : The sex of each individual (0 = male, 1 = female)
File: trials.separate.csv
Description: Trait measurement data, with separate rows pertaining to an individual's first and second rounds of assays.
Variables
- sample_ID: Identification number for individuals (missing numbers were used in a separate pilot study, used in the stimulus shoal, or excluded from analyses)
- test_ID: An identification number for each test subject
- assay: Denotes whether it was an individual's first or second assay
- soc.prop: The proportion of time an individual spent acting socially
- soc.raw: The amount of time (in seconds) that an individual spent acting socially
- soc.drop: Denotes whether an individual was considered a dropout during analyses involving sociability (0 = no, 1 = yes)
- bold: The amount of time (in seconds) that an individual spent acting bolding
- exp.prop: The proportion of squares in the gridded system that an individual entered (explored)
- exp.raw: The number of squares in the gridded system that an individual entered (explored) during their first assay
- act.prop: The proportion of frames in which an individual was actively swimming
- act.raw: The number of frames in which an individual was actively swimming
- length: Standard length (centimeters)
- weight: Weight (grams)
- condition: Coefficient of Condition
- population: Denotes the source population from which an individual was collected
- date: The day of the year (chronological) on which an individual was collected
- sex: The sex of each individual (0 = male, 1 = female)
Access information
NA
This data was collected from 49 individual Creek Chub caught from three streams near Clarksville and Nashville, Tennessee (see published manuscript for details). Individuals were subjected to two separate behavioral assays that measured four traits: sociability, boldness, exploration, and activity. To determine whether individual Creek Chub were consistent for each trait across time, thereby meeting the definition of 'personality' for said traits, individuals were subjected to each assay twice. Methods for how each trait was measured and considered can be found in Barrett and Cashner 2025. Because behavior has the potential to be influenced by a number of factors, the relationship between alternative intrinsic (length, condition, sex) and extrinsic (source population, season), and personality traits was also considered.