Presentation Details
Metabolic differences in convict cichlid dominance hierarchies

Alex Q Kean, Kathleen Church.

Missouri State University, Springfield, MISSOURI, USA

Abstract


Dominance hierarchies are used to control access to contested resources, with dominant individuals gaining priority access. The formation of dominance hierarchies is often size based, with larger individuals generally outcompeting smaller individuals. However, other factors can affect dominance, particularly differences in metabolic rate (i.e., SMR, MMR), as dominants often exhibit higher metabolic rates due to increased energetic demands. In this study, groups of nine same-size convict cichlids were tagged with subcutaneous elastomer to identify individual fish, then subdivided into groups of three fish. Each fish competed within four different subgroups to evaluate the repeatability of dominance, while dominant fish were identified by their higher food consumption and greater number of chases toward conspecifics during these group feeding trials. Each fish also underwent intermittent-flow respirometry before and after competing within each subgroup to evaluate the consistency of metabolic rate and its relationship to dominance status. Preliminary results show that the relationship between competitive dominance and metabolism tends to be complex and more variable than anticipated.

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