Personality is a defining characteristic of all humans, but did you know that animals also have personalities? In behavioral ecology, personality is defined as consistent behavioral differences among individuals of the same species. Yet how these individual differences develop remains largely unknown.
In this new publication by our PhD student Justine Bélik, we demonstrated that personality can be acquired in a fish species even in the absence of genetic diversity, using our model organism, the mangrove rivulus (Kryptolebias marmoratus).
Justine showed that fish already differ in their behavior (specifically in boldness) as early as 10 days post-hatching, but that these differences are not yet stable throughout development. Fish acquire their “definitive” personality around 60 days post-hatching and maintain it for at least 410 days.
This research opens exciting new avenues for understanding the non-genetic mechanisms underlying personality acquisition in a vertebrate species.
Congratulations, Justine, on this first publication on personality traits in the mangrove rivulus! 🎉
#AnimalBehavior #Personality #BehavioralEcology #NewPublication #FishScience #MangroveRivulus