Life Sciences Commons^™

The Role Of Physiological Traits In Assortment Among And Within Fish Shoals, Shaun S. Killen, Stefano Marras, Lauren E. Nadler, Paolo Domenici

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

Individuals of gregarious species often group with conspecifics to which they are phenotypically similar. This among-group assortment has been studied for body size, sex and relatedness. However, the role of physiological traits has been largely overlooked. Here, we discuss mechanisms by which physiological traits—particularly those related to metabolism and locomotor performance—may result in phenotypic assortment not only among but also within animal groups. At the among-group level, varying combinations of passive assortment, active assortment, phenotypic plasticity and selective mortality may generate phenotypic differences among groups. Even within groups, however, individual variation in energy requirements, aerobic and anaerobic capacity, neurological lateralization …