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Reproductive individuality of clonal fish raised in near-identical environments and its link to early-life behavioral individuality

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Listed:
  • Ulrike Scherer

    (Technische Universität Berlin
    Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
    Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries)

  • Sean M. Ehlman

    (Technische Universität Berlin
    Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
    Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries)

  • David Bierbach

    (Technische Universität Berlin
    Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
    Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries)

  • Jens Krause

    (Technische Universität Berlin
    Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
    Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries)

  • Max Wolf

    (Technische Universität Berlin
    Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries)

Abstract

Recent studies have documented among-individual phenotypic variation that emerges in the absence of apparent genetic and environmental differences, but it remains an open question whether such seemingly stochastic variation has fitness consequences. We perform a life-history experiment with naturally clonal fish, separated directly after birth into near-identical (i.e., highly standardized) environments, quantifying 2522 offspring from 152 broods over 280 days. We find that (i) individuals differ consistently in the size of offspring and broods produced over consecutive broods, (ii) these differences are observed even when controlling for trade-offs between brood size, offspring size and reproductive onset, indicating individual differences in life-history productivity and (iii) early-life behavioral individuality in activity and feeding patterns, with among-individual differences in feeding being predictive of growth, and consequently offspring size. Thus, our study provides experimental evidence that even when minimizing genetic and environmental differences, systematic individual differences in life-history measures and ultimately fitness can emerge.

Suggested Citation

  • Ulrike Scherer & Sean M. Ehlman & David Bierbach & Jens Krause & Max Wolf, 2023. "Reproductive individuality of clonal fish raised in near-identical environments and its link to early-life behavioral individuality," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-9, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:14:y:2023:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-023-43069-6
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-43069-6
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    1. Kate L. Laskowski & David Bierbach & Jolle W. Jolles & Carolina Doran & Max Wolf, 2022. "The emergence and development of behavioral individuality in clonal fish," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-9, December.
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