Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-mkpzs Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-23T03:53:50.806Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Daily activity rhythms of the African catfish Heterobranchus longifilis (Clariidae) in an experimental enclosure

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  23 October 2008

Patrick Anselme ,
Pascale Bernaerts  and
Pascal Poncin
Patrick Anselme
Affiliation:
University of Liège, Center for Cognitive and Behavioural Neuroscience (B32), 5 Boulevard du Rectorat, 4000 Liège, Belgium
Pascale Bernaerts
Affiliation:
University of Liège, Center for Cognitive and Behavioural Neuroscience (B32), 5 Boulevard du Rectorat, 4000 Liège, Belgium
Pascal Poncin
Affiliation:
University of Liège, Laboratory of Fish Ethology, Belgium
Get access

Abstract

The swimming, air-gaping, and agonistic behaviours of Heterobranchus longifilis (318 ± 67 mm) were examined while fish were in a fasted state under 12L:12D and variable group size (2, 5, 10 and 15 fish) in a 1000-L aquarium. Fish exhibited a predominantly nocturnal activity pattern independent of group size. A diurnal peak of activity occurred, however, at the usual feeding time. A reduction in frequency of agonistic interactions was observed in larger groups. Five fish were then observed under 72L:0D and 0L:72D. The nocturnal activity pattern remained, contrary to the diurnal peak, and was independent of the duration of illumination or darkness. These results suggest the absence of biological clock in H. longifilis, although fish may somehow be influenced by past feeding experience. Behavioural plasticity in this species may provide potential for aquaculture in northern latitudes.

Keywords

CatfishActivity rhythmAir gapingBehaviourGroup size
Type
Brief Report
Information
Aquatic Living Resources , Volume 21 , Issue 4 , October 2008 , pp. 419 - 422
Copyright
© EDP Sciences, IFREMER, IRD, 2008

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Anthouard M., Pionnier E., Kirsch R., 1987, Behavioural adaptation of Silurus glanis (Pisces, Cypriniformes, Siluridae), in an instrumental conditioning situation. In: Cloarec A. (Ed.), Actes du Colloque de la Société Française d'Étude du Comportement Animal 1986. University of Rennes, Rennes, pp. 72–75.
Avit, J.-B., Luquet, P., 1995, Consommation volontaire d'aliments en situation d'alternance de lumière et d'obscurité chez Heterobranchus longifilis. Aquat. Living Resour. 8, 385–387. CrossRef
Baras E., Thoreau X, Mélard C., 1996, How do cultured tilapias Oreochromis aureus adapt their activity budget to variations in meal timing and abundance? In: Baras E., Philippart P. (Eds.), Underwater Telemetry. Proc.1st Conference and Workshop on Fish Telemetry in Europe. Liège, Belgium, pp. 195–202.
Baras, E., Tissier, F., Westerloppe, L., Mélard, C., Philippart, J.-C., 1998, Feeding in darkness alleviates density-dependent growth of juvenile vundu catfish Heterobranchus longifilis (Clariidae). Aquat. Living Resour. 11, 335–340. CrossRef
Baras, E., 1999, Sibling cannibalism among juvenile vundu under controlled conditions. I. Cannibalistic behaviour, prey selection and prey size selectivity. J. Fish Biol. 54, 82–105. CrossRef
Beach, M.H., 1978, The use of infrared light and closed circuit TV to validate records from automatic fish counters. J. Fish Biol. 13, 639–644. CrossRef
Bégout Anras, M.-L., Lagardère, J.-P., 2004, Domestication et comportement chez les poissons téléostéens. INRA Prod. Anim. 17, 211–215.
Bevan, D.J., Kramer, D.L., 1987, The respiratory behaviour of an air-breathing catfish, Clarias macrocephalus (Clariidae). Can. J. Zool. 65, 348–353. CrossRef
Boujard, T., Leatherland, J.F., 1992, Circadian rhythms and feeding time in fishes. Environ. Biol. Fishes 35, 109–131. CrossRef
Boujard T., Luquet P., 1996, Rythmes alimentaires et alimentation chez les Siluroidei. In: Legendre M., Proteau J.P. (Eds.), The Biology and Culture of Catfishes. Aquat. Living Resour. 9 (Special Issue), 113–120.
Boujard, T., Keith, P., Luquet, P., 1990, Diel cycle in Hoplosternum littorale (Teleostei): Evidence for synchronistation of locomotor, air breathing and feeding activity by circadian alternation of light and dark. J. Fish Biol. 36, 133–140. CrossRef
Boujard, T., Moreau, Y., Luquet, P., 1992, Diel cycles in Hoplosternum littorale (Teleostei): entrainment of feeding activity by low colored light. Environ. Biol. Fishes 35, 301–309. CrossRef
Bruton M.N., 1979, The food and feeding behaviour of Clarias gariepinus (Pisces; Clariidae) in lake Sibaya, South Africa, with emphasis on its role as a predator of cichlids. Trans. Zool. Soc. Lond. 35, 1–45.
Delcourt, J., Becco, C., Vanderwalle, N., Poncin, P., 2006, Comparing the EthoVision® 2.3 system and a new computerized multi-tracking prototype system to measure the swimming behavior in fry fish. Behav. Res. Meth. 38, 704–710. CrossRef
Hecht, T., Appelbaum, S., 1988, Observations on intraspecific aggression and coeval sibling cannibalism by larval and juvenile Clarias gariepinus (Clariidae: Pisces) under controlled conditions. J. Zool. Lond. 214, 21–44. CrossRef
Hecht, T., Uys, W., 1997, Effect of density on the feeding and aggressive behaviour in juvenile African catfish, Clarias gariepinus. S. Afr. J. Sci. 93, 537–541.
Hogendoorn, H., 1981, Controlled propagation of the African catfish Clarias lazera (C & V). IV. Effect of feeding regime in fingerling culture. Aquaculture 24, 123–131.
Howell, B.R., 1994, Fitness of hatchery-reared fish for survival in the sea. Aquac. Fish. Manage. 25, 3–17.
Jorgensen, E.H., Christiansen, J.S., Jobling, M., 1993, Effects of stocking density on food intake, growth performance, and oxygen consumption in Arctic charr (Salvenius alpinus). Aquaculture 110, 191–204. CrossRef
Kaiser, H., Weyl, O., Hecht, T., 1995, The effect of stocking density on growth and agonistic behaviour of African catfish. Aquac. Int. 3, 217–225. CrossRef
Kerdchuen, N., Legendre, M., 1991, Influence de la fréquence et de la période de nourrissage sur la croissance et l'efficacité alimentaire d'un silure africain, Heterobranchus longifilis (Teleostei, Clariidae). Aquat. Living Resour. 4, 241–248. CrossRef
Kerdchuen, N., Legendre, M., 1992, Effet favorable des fortes densités pour l'adaptation d'un silure africain, Heterobranchus longifilis (Pisces, Clariidae) en bacs de petit volume. Rev. Hydrobiol. Trop. 25, 63–67.
Legendre, M., Teugels, G.G., Cauty, C., Jalabert, B., 1992, A comparative study of the growth rate and reproduction of Clarias gariepinus (Burchell 1822), Heterobranchus longifilis Valenciennes 1840 and their reciprocal hybrids (Pisces, Clariidae). J. Fish Biol. 40, 59–79. CrossRef
Legendre, M., Proteau, J.-P., 1996, BASIL—Biological bases for aquaculture of Siluriformes. Aquat. Living Resour. 8, 289–290. CrossRef
Luquet, P., Otémé, Z.J., Cissé, A., 1995, Mise en évidence et valorisation de la croissance compensatrice chez Heterobranchus longifilis. Aquat. Living Resour. 8, 389–394. CrossRef
Mélard, C., 1986, Les bases biologiques de l'élevage intensif du Tilapia du Nil. Cah. Ethol. Appl. 6, 242 p.
Micha J.C., 1972, Étude des populations piscicoles de l'Ubangui et tentatives de sélection et d'adaptation de quelques espèces à l'étang de pisciculture. Thèse de doctorat, Université de Liège.
Palmer J.D., 1976, An Introduction to Biological Rhythms. New York, Academic Press.
Poll, M., 1959, Aspects nouveaux de la faune ichthyologique du Congo belge. Bull. Soc. Zool. Fr. 84, 259–271.
Poncin, P., Ruwet, J.-C., 1996, Le laboratoire d'Ethologie des Poissons rénové. Cah. Ethol. 16, 377–390.
Poncin, P., Petitfrère, P., Vandewalle, P., Ruwet, J.-C., 2002, The reproductive behaviour of the African catfish Heterobranchus longifilis (Siluriformes, Clariidae) in an aquarium - Preliminary results. Belg. J. Zool. 132, 35–39.
Teugels, G.G., 1982, A systematic outline of the African species of the genus Clarias (Pisces, Clariidae), with an annotated bibliography. Ann. Mus. R. Afr. Centrale 236, 1–249.
Ylieff, M., Poncin, P., 2003, Quantifying spontaneous swimming activity in fish with a computerized color video tracking system, a laboratory device using last imaging techniques. Fish Physiol. Biochem. 28, 281–282. CrossRef