Behaviour in a novel environment provides clues to the success of an invasive species

VAZQUEZ MARÍA GUADALUPE; BAS CLAUDIA

Ethology

John Wiley and Sons Inc

Año: 2023 vol. 129 p. 334 - 343

Behavioural traits play an important role in invasion success, yet little is known abouthow species behave when they arrive in a new environment. In this study we examinedthe behaviour of the invasive shrimp Palaemon macrodactylus after entering in anovel place with a single refuge during a 24 h solitary phase, and after the introductionof a conspecific or heterospecific (the native goby Gobiosoma parri), in the next 24 h(competition phase), comparing their responses as residents and as intruders. Timespent swimming, using the shelter and the frequency of interactions (withdrawingtouches) were quantified. Shrimps entering to a new empty environment, swam mostof the time in the first hours, while the use of shelter increased steadily. The use ofshelter in shrimps was affected by sex and residency status. Females won the shelterto males, while residents won the shelter to intruders. In the interspecific competition,refuge was always won by gobies and shrimps showed no resistance. Obtainingshelter was not generated through aggressive behaviours, but rather a hierarchy establishedthrough some other type of interactions. We propose that both prolongedswimming, which could indicate exploratory behaviour, and a social organizationwithout aggressive confrontations could be key to the initiation of an invasion in thisspecies