Behavioural Diversity of Fishes: Concepts, Drivers and Its Role in Conservation and Management
Abstract
Human activity has altered nearly all ecosystems on Earth, contributing to substantial biodiversity loss across taxonomic, genetic and functional dimensions, from the intraspecific to the ecosystem scale. Yet some components of biodiversity remain hidden or underappreciated, including behavioural diversity. Behaviour is often among the earliest whole‐organism responses to environmental change, and diversity in behaviour can occur within individuals, among individuals, among populations and across communities and ecosystems. This variation may influence growth, survival, reproduction, ecological interactions and responses to anthropogenic pressures, although its effects on population stability and resilience are likely context‐, scale‐ and component‐dependent. In this review, we examine behavioural diversity in fishes, defined here as variation in behavioural traits across levels of biological organisation, from individuals to ecosystems. Our review has two complementary aims. First, we provide a conceptual overview of behavioural diversity, clarify how it differs from related constructs such as personality, plasticity, and behavioural syndromes, and summarise the evolutionary, ontogenetic, ecological, stochastic and anthropogenic processes that generate or erode it. Second, we evaluate why behavioural diversity matters for fish ecology, fisheries management, aquaculture, restoration and conservation. We conclude by identifying key research needs, including improved quantification, stronger empirical links between behavioural diversity and ecological outcomes, and the development of management approaches sensitive to behavioural diversity. More explicit consideration of behavioural diversity should improve our ability to predict fish behavioural diversity responses and to design conservation and management measures that account for variation rather than only average behavioural responses.
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BibTeX
@article{prchalova2026behavioural,
title = {{Behavioural Diversity of Fishes: Concepts, Drivers and Its Role in Conservation and Management}},
author = {Marie Prchalová and Robert Arlinghaus and Samuel Westrelin and Ivan Jarić and Michael G Bertram and Josep Alós and Henrik Baktoft and Jack A Brand and Tomas Brodin and Adolfo Cordero‐rivera and Carlina Feldmann and Ryo Futamura and Stefan Hont and Pascal Klamser and Cecilie Iden Nilsen and Johann Mourier and Karl Øystein Gjelland and Esben Moland Olsen and Polona Pengal and Rubén Rabaneda‐bueno and Milan Říha and Theresa Rueger and Holger Schielzeth and Marco Signaroli and Marija Smederevac‐lalić and Christopher T Monk},
journal = {Fish and Fisheries},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.1111/faf.70107},
url = {https://hal.inrae.fr/hal-05735226v1},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Behavioural Diversity of Fishes: Concepts, Drivers and Its Role in Conservation and Management
AU - Marie Prchalová
AU - Robert Arlinghaus
AU - Samuel Westrelin
AU - Ivan Jarić
AU - Michael G Bertram
AU - Josep Alós
AU - Henrik Baktoft
AU - Jack A Brand
AU - Tomas Brodin
AU - Adolfo Cordero‐rivera
AU - Carlina Feldmann
AU - Ryo Futamura
AU - Stefan Hont
AU - Pascal Klamser
AU - Cecilie Iden Nilsen
AU - Johann Mourier
AU - Karl Øystein Gjelland
AU - Esben Moland Olsen
AU - Polona Pengal
AU - Rubén Rabaneda‐bueno
AU - Milan Říha
AU - Theresa Rueger
AU - Holger Schielzeth
AU - Marco Signaroli
AU - Marija Smederevac‐lalić
AU - Christopher T Monk
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/02
JO - Fish and Fisheries
DO - 10.1111/faf.70107
UR - https://hal.inrae.fr/hal-05735226v1
AB - Human activity has altered nearly all ecosystems on Earth, contributing to substantial biodiversity loss across taxonomic, genetic and functional dimensions, from the intraspecific to the ecosystem scale. Yet some components of biodiversity remain hidden or underappreciated, including behavioural diversity. Behaviour is often among the earliest whole‐organism responses to environmental change, and diversity in behaviour can occur within individuals, among individuals, among populations and across communities and ecosystems. This variation may influence growth, survival, reproduction, ecological interactions and responses to anthropogenic pressures, although its effects on population stability and resilience are likely context‐, scale‐ and component‐dependent. In this review, we examine behavioural diversity in fishes, defined here as variation in behavioural traits across levels of biological organisation, from individuals to ecosystems. Our review has two complementary aims. First, we provide a conceptual overview of behavioural diversity, clarify how it differs from related constructs such as personality, plasticity, and behavioural syndromes, and summarise the evolutionary, ontogenetic, ecological, stochastic and anthropogenic processes that generate or erode it. Second, we evaluate why behavioural diversity matters for fish ecology, fisheries management, aquaculture, restoration and conservation. We conclude by identifying key research needs, including improved quantification, stronger empirical links between behavioural diversity and ecological outcomes, and the development of management approaches sensitive to behavioural diversity. More explicit consideration of behavioural diversity should improve our ability to predict fish behavioural diversity responses and to design conservation and management measures that account for variation rather than only average behavioural responses.
SN - 1467-2960
SN - 1467-2979
ER -