Data from: The impact of predators and vegetation on shoaling in wild zebrafish

In their natural habitats, animals experience multiple ecological factors
and regulate their social responses accordingly. To unravel the impact of
two ecological factors on the immediate behavioral response of groups, we
conducted experiments on wild zebrafish shoals in arenas with vegetation,
predator cues, both factors simultaneously, or neither (control
treatments). Analysis of 297 trials revealed that while shoals formed
significantly larger subgroups in the presence of predator cues, their
subgroup size was comparable to control treatments when they faced
predator cues and vegetation. Shoals were highly polarized in open arenas,
in the absence of either ecological factor and in the presence of predator
cues (with/without vegetation). The presence of vegetation alone, however,
significantly reduced shoal polarization. Furthermore, food intake was
significantly reduced when predator cues and/or vegetation were present.
Tracking individuals revealed that: (i)individuals within shoals receiving
predator cues had a significantly higher probability to continue being in
a group compared to control treatments, and (ii)individuals occupying the
front positions deviated lesser from their median position within a shoal
as compared to other individuals regardless of predator cues. The
adaptability of animals depends on behavioural responses to changing
environments, making this study significant in the context of
environmental changes.