Does thermal plasticity affect susceptibility to capture in fish? Insights from a simulated trap and trawl fishery

Hollins, J., Koeck, B. , Crespel, A., Bailey, D. and Killen, S. (2021) Does thermal plasticity affect susceptibility to capture in fish? Insights from a simulated trap and trawl fishery. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, 78(1), pp. 57-67. (doi: 10.1139/cjfas-2020-0125)

Abstract

In fishes, physiological and behavioural traits can correlate with vulnerability to capture with fishing gears, highlighting the capacity of fisheries selection to drive phenotypic change in exploited populations. There remains a paucity of information regarding how different fishing gears may select on phenotypic traits and how relationships between individual traits and capture vulnerability change across environmental gradients. By simulating the capture process in a trawl and trap using wild minnows acclimated to different temperatures, we investigated how contrasting fishing gears select on behavioural and physiological traits, and how this selection is modulated by temperature. Despite similar risk of capture in each gear, selection differed between traps and trawls. Fish exhibiting low spontaneous activity were at greater capture risk in the trawl across all temperatures, while traps showed no selection except at 24°C. No relationships between physiological traits and capture vulnerability were found, except between swim performance and trap capture vulnerability at 24°C. This study demonstrates that fisheries selection on individual traits is likely context-specific, depending on both fishing gear type, and environment.

• Item Type: Articles
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Killen, Professor Shaun and Hollins, Jack and Crespel, Dr Amelie and Bailey, Dr David and Koeck, Dr Barbara
• Authors: Hollins, J., Koeck, B., Crespel, A., Bailey, D., and Killen, S.
• College/School: College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences > School of Biodiversity, One Health & Veterinary Medicine
• Journal Name: Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
• Publisher: NRC Research Press
• ISSN: 0706-652X
• ISSN (Online): 1205-7533
• Published Online: 08 September 2020
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2020 The Authors
• First Published: First published in Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 78(1): 57-67
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced in accordance with the publisher copyright policy

Project Code	Award No	Project Name	Principal Investigator	Funder's Name	Funder Ref	Lead Dept
167015		The Influence of Individual Physiology on Group Behaviour in Fish Schools	Shaun Killen	Natural Environment Research Council (NERC)	NE/J019100/1	Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine