Beyond the glass: testing visitor effects on the behavior of captive teleost fish in public aquaria
Zoos and public aquariums serve as essential hubs for wildlife conservation, public education, and scientific research; however, the success of these missions depends upon maintaining high animal welfare standards despite constant human presence. A primary concern is the 'visitor effect': the alteration of animal behavior due to human presence. While this phenomenon is well-documented in captive…
Zoological institutions and public aquariums play a pivotal role in wildlife protection, education, and research; however, their ongoing environmental impact hinges on upholding strong animal welfare standards amidst continuous human interaction. A key issue of concern is the visitor effect, defined as the modification of animal behavior due to the presence of humans.
Though this concept is well-established in captive mammals and has been investigated in cartilaginous fishes, empirical investigation in teleost fish remains scarce, despite their heightened sensitivity to human cues in their natural habitats. This research aims to fill this knowledge gap by examining the behavioral reactions of 13 teleost species to diverse levels of crowd density, direct human interaction, and general noise levels.
Our multivariate analysis indicates that the number of visitors and the resulting disturbances serve as primary factors influencing behavioral alterations, with species identity being the primary source of variability. We discovered substantial taxonomic diversity in responses: certain species (such as Euxiphipops sextriatus, Dascyllus aruanus, and Zebrasoma flavescens) exhibited substantial sensitivity, marked by significant changes in stress-response, exploration, and aggressive behaviors, while others maintained comparatively consistent patterns.
Additionally, acoustic examination reveals a complex soundscape where visitor density is linked to heightened sound intensity, particularly within the 100 Hz to 400 Hz frequency range, a crucial auditory band for teleosts. This suggests that visitor-induced noise differs from the aquarium's inherent background noise. These findings underscore that the visitor effect is not a consistent phenomenon but a complex interplay influenced by species-specific susceptibilities and unique anthropogenic stressors.
Our results emphasize the importance of integrating species-specific behavioral data and acoustic surveillance into welfare management strategies to more effectively counteract the effects of human presence on captive fish populations.
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