Context-dependent multimodal behaviour in a coral reef fish: Stage 1 & 2 total duration and count data in behaviour trials
Data files
Mar 19, 2024 version files 124.97 KB
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README.md
2.73 KB
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Stage-1_Ambon_Behavioural_Responses.csv
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Stage-2_Ambon_Behavioural_Responses.csv
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Abstract
Animals are expected to respond flexibly to changing circumstances, with multimodal signalling providing potential plasticity in social interactions. Whilst numerous studies have documented context-dependent behavioural trade-offs in terrestrial species, far less work has considered such decision-making in fish, especially in natural conditions. Coral reef ecosystems host 25% of all known marine species, making them hotbeds of competition and predation. We conducted experiments with wild Ambon damselfish (Pomacentrus amboinensis) to investigate context-dependent responses to a conspecific intruder; specifically, how nest defence is influenced by an elevated predation risk. We found that nest-defending male Ambon damselfish responded aggressively to a conspecific intruder, spending less time sheltering and more time interacting, as well as signalling both visually and acoustically. In the presence of a model predator compared to a model herbivore, males spent less time interacting with the intruder, with a tendency towards reduced investment in visual displays compensated for by an increase in acoustic signalling instead. We therefore provide ecologically valid evidence that the context experienced by an individual can affect its behavioural responses and multimodal displays towards conspecific threats.
README: Context-dependent multimodal behaviour in a coral reef fish: Stage 1 & 2 total duration and count data in behaviour trials
https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.44j0zpcn9
This dataset contains the proportions and rates of behaviours extracted (using Behavioural Observation Research Interactive Software (BORIS) version 8.0.9) from underwater cameras recording behavioural responses of the Ambon Damselfish to 1) a conspecific intruder in a bag vs an empty bag (as a control) and 2) a conspecific intruder in a bag alongside a model predator vs a model herbivore (as a control).
Description of the data and file structure
Data is split into two .csv files (one for Stage 1 and one for Stage 2). Each stage also has the scripts available from R studio version 1.4.1103 used to analyse the data (notes explaining the steps are included in the scripts themselves). Present in the data files is:
"Site": refers to a general location across the field site where the focal individual was located.
"Tile": refers to the particular nest tile which the focal individual defended throughout the experiment.
"Order": refers to the treatment order in which the trial was conducted.
"Trial": refers to the particular trial that the focal individual was exposed to such as "predator" for the predator model.
"Observation ID": is a code given to refer to all of the above information in one abbreviated form.
"Behavior": refers to which behaviour the rates and proportions that follow were coding for.
Further columns list the the duration of behaviours (measured in seconds) or the number of times they occurred followed by the calculations of proportions and rates depending on whether it was looked at throughout the trial time or the time in which the focal individual was interacting with the intruder.
All behaviours are described with their name in the "behaviour" column. The only abbreviation used is "OOS" which means "Out of Shot" for when the focal individual is not visible on the underwater camera recording.
"NA's" are listed in the data columns for proportions when it was a behaviour analysed as a rate, and vice versa. For example, an acoustic "pop" vocalisation, listed under the "Behavior" column as "Acoustic:_Knock/pop_single" was measured in the rate of occurrences (not durations of the behaviour) and so the columns for the proportion of that behaviour are listed as "NA" (Not applicable).
Code/Software
We carried out all statistical analyses in R studio version 1.4.1103 using proportions of time and event rates as dependent variables. The included scripts were used to analyse the data (notes explaining the steps are included in the scripts themselves).
Methods
We recorded behaviours of Ambon damselfish using GoPro cameras. From the GoPro footage of each trial, we coded the behaviour available in this dataset using Behavioural Observation Research Interactive Software (BORIS) version 8.0.9. We scored time spent by the focal male sheltering (in the nest or adjacent rubble) and interacting with the intruder (within two body lengths of it); when it was interacting, we scored the number of aggressive acts (chasing, striking, darting) directed at the intruder. The time when the focal fish was not in view was also recorded. From a signalling perspective, we scored the time visually displaying (extending the anal and dorsal fin and/or fanning the tail towards the intruder) and counted occurrences of single or multiple pulses (vocal “syllables” within 1 s of each other) of aggressive “wipe” and “knock” vocalisations.