El comportament territorial dels peixos. Descripció de patrons de territorialitat

Abstract

A fish territory is defined as a portion of water associated with the substrate, defended by a dominant individual, a pair or a "harem". As proximate causation, the fish should perform agonistic behaviour. As a consequence, it should benefit from resources contained therein: food, refuge, breeding site, mates. Territorial formation has been growing in complexity due to the evolution of reproductive strategies and parental care: lekking or 'arena behaviour' is discussed; sneakers and satelIites are described as individuals with alternative reproductive strategies in complex territories. Feeding territories appears to have arisen as a secondary consequence of attachment to a breeding territory. Habituating and sensitizing are discussed as a factors regulating agonistic behaviour between neighbours. Finally, four unique territorial patterns are defined: wandering, patrolling, cercling and oscilating.