Jj. Castro et Ja. Santiago, THE INFLUENCE OF FOOD DISTRIBUTION ON THE AGGRESSIVE-BEHAVIOR OF JUVENILE WHITE-SEABREAM (DIPLODUS-SARGUS CADENATI DE LA-PAZ, BAUCHOT AND DAGET, 1974), Aggressive behavior, 24(5), 1998, pp. 379-384
Experiments were conducted to investigate the effect of differences in
the spatial distribution of food on the aggressive behaviour of juven
ile white-seabream, Diplodus sargus cadenati; both in the presence and
in the absence of food. The groups of fish receiving spatially fixed
food displayed less aggression than those receiving spatially variable
food. The period (before, during, or after feeding) during which aggr
essiveness is, measured also has influence in the results. During the
prefeeding and postfeeding periods (absence of food), groups that were
fed with food spatially fixed displayed less aggression than those th
at received spatially variable food. However, when food was present th
ere were no differences in the number of aggressive acts carried out b
y fish groups in both environments. The aggressiveness shown by the gr
oups of fish was always more pronounced during the postfeeding period
than during the prefeeding period. The dominant fish was more aggressi
ve when food was spatially fixed, and especially when food was present
. Therefore, the subordinates were more aggressive when food was spati
ally variable and particularly when food was present and during the po
stfeeding period. (C) 1998 Wiley-Liss, Inc.