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Fishes
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Behavioral Ecology of Fishes
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Behavioral Ecology of Fishes

A special issue of Fishes (ISSN 2410-3888). This special issue belongs to the section "Biology and Ecology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 August 2025 | Viewed by 1048

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Rodrigo Egydio Barreto

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. Department of Structural and Functional Biology (Physiology), Institute of Biosciences of Botucatu, São Paulo State University—UNESP, R. Prof. Dr. Antônio Celso Wagner Zanin, 250—Distrito de Rubião Junior, Botucatu 18618-689, SP, Brazil
2. Aquaculture Center, São Paulo State University—CAUNESP, Botucatu, SP, Brazil
Interests: stress; fish; chemical communication; aquaculture; growth; feeding; aggressive behavior; prey–predator system
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In recent decades, we have witnessed significant advances in the study of fish behavioral ecology, exploring how they cope with environmental challenges and increase their chances of survival and reproduction. However, the group of fishes studied is extremely diverse, including species inhabiting freshwater or saltwater, living in shallow waters or at extreme depths, or experiencing wide physicochemical fluctuations. From this diversity arises an equally varied range of behaviors, which contributes to the evolutionary success of the group. Given the vast diversity of fish species and the different contexts in which they exist, much work remains to be carried out to further understand their behavioral ecology. In this regard, articles that explore the behavioral plasticity of these organisms, the associated physiological mechanisms, their interactions with other organisms, and the behavioral adaptations that enable them to survive and reproduce in their respective environments are highly welcome.

Dr. Rodrigo Egydio Barreto
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Fishes is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • behavioral phenotypic plasticity
  • foraging strategies
  • predation avoidance
  • reproductive behavior
  • social behavior
  • territoriality
  • schooling and shoaling
  • communication in fish
  • inter- and intraspecific interactions
  • ecological niche adaptations

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

14 pages, 821 KiB  
Article
Eat First, Fight Later: Competitive Advantage of an Invasive Cichlid over a Native Competitor for Food Resources
by Leonardo Cirillo, Caio A. Miyai, Fábio H. C. Sanches, Alexandre L. Arvigo and Tânia M. Costa
Fishes 2025, 10(7), 340; https://doi.org/10.3390/fishes10070340 - 10 Jul 2025
Viewed by 191
Abstract
Competition for resources with invasive species can negatively impact native fauna. Invasive species often exhibit higher aggressiveness and monopolize resources through behavioral interference. However, their feeding behavior also plays a central role in invasion success. We investigated how food resource availability influences agonistic [...] Read more.
Competition for resources with invasive species can negatively impact native fauna. Invasive species often exhibit higher aggressiveness and monopolize resources through behavioral interference. However, their feeding behavior also plays a central role in invasion success. We investigated how food resource availability influences agonistic interactions between the invasive cichlid Oreochromis niloticus and the native cichlid Geophagus iporangensis. Specifically, we assessed whether the invasive species interferes with the native species’ feeding behavior. Using neutral arenas, we staged competition trials under two conditions: initially without food and subsequently with food present. The native species served as the focal animal and was exposed to either a conspecific or an invasive competitor. Results showed that native species aggressiveness toward the invasive competitor was three times higher in the absence of food. Although O. niloticus was 1.6 times more aggressive than conspecifics, its presence did not affect the native species’ feeding rate, and no behavioral interference was observed. Instead, the invasive species relied primarily on scramble competition, initiating nine of ten trials and consuming seven times more food than the native cichlid. Our findings suggest that, beyond aggression, feeding behavior and resource exploitation are key mechanisms driving competitive exclusion by invasive species. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Behavioral Ecology of Fishes)
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21 pages, 2236 KiB  
Article
Behavioral Responses of Migratory Fish to Environmental Cues: Evidence from the Heishui River
by Jiawei Xu, Yilin Jiao, Shan-e-hyder Soomro, Xiaozhang Hu, Dongqing Li, Jianping Wang, Bingjun Liu, Chenyu Lin, Senfan Ke, Yujiao Wu and Xiaotao Shi
Fishes 2025, 10(7), 310; https://doi.org/10.3390/fishes10070310 - 30 Jun 2025
Viewed by 235
Abstract
Hydropower infrastructure has profoundly altered riverine connectivity, posing challenges to the migratory behavior of aquatic species. This study examined the post-passage migration efficiency of Schizothorax wangchiachii in a regulated river system, focusing on upstream and downstream reaches of the Songxin Hydropower Station on [...] Read more.
Hydropower infrastructure has profoundly altered riverine connectivity, posing challenges to the migratory behavior of aquatic species. This study examined the post-passage migration efficiency of Schizothorax wangchiachii in a regulated river system, focusing on upstream and downstream reaches of the Songxin Hydropower Station on the Heishui River, a tributary of the Jinsha River. We used radio-frequency identification (RFID) tagging to track individuals after fishway passage and coupled this with environmental monitoring data. A Cox proportional hazards model was applied to identify key abiotic drivers of migration success and to develop a predictive framework. The upstream success rate was notably low (15.6%), with a mean passage time of 438 h, while downstream success reached 81.1%, with an average of 142 h. Fish exhibited distinct diel migration patterns; upstream movements were largely nocturnal, whereas downstream migration mainly occurred during daylight. Water temperature (HR = 0.535, p = 0.028), discharge (HR = 0.801, p = 0.050), water level (HR = 0.922, p = 0.040), and diel timing (HR = 0.445, p = 0.088) emerged as significant factors shaping the upstream movement. Our findings highlight that fishways alone may not ensure functional connectivity restoration. Instead, coordinated habitat interventions in upstream tributaries, alongside improved passage infrastructure, are crucial. A combined telemetry and modeling approach offers valuable insights for river management in fragmented systems. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Behavioral Ecology of Fishes)
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