Do risk-prone behaviours compromise reproduction and increase vulnerability of fish aggregations exposed to fishing?

Human disturbances can prompt natural antipredator behaviours in animals, affecting how energy is traded-off between immediate survival and reproduction. In our study of male squaretail groupers (Plectropomus areolatus) in India's Lakshadweep archipelago, we investigated the impact of fishing pressure on anti-predatory responses and reproductive behaviours by comparing a fished and unfished spawning aggregation site and tracking responses over time at the fished site. Using observational sampling and predator exposure experiments, we analysed fear responses (flight initiation distance, return time), as well as time spent in vigilance, courtship, and territorial defence. Unpaired males at fished sites were twice as likely to flee from simulated predators and took longer to return to mating territories. Contrastingly, males in the presence of females at both sites took greater risks during courtship, fleeing later than unpaired males, but paired males at the unfished site returned earlier..., Refer to paper and Supplementary Materials (ESM)
Methods
2.1.Field sites
Data were collected from a ‘fished’ squaretail grouper spawning aggregation site (Bitra) during the new moon phase in January and from an ‘unfished’ site (Site 2) in February 2023 and 2024, in the Lakshadweep archipelago (details in electronic supplementary material 1, site characteristics). Historical data wasere also used from the fished site from January 2013 and 2014 (i.e., when it was in an ‘’unfished’ state, [20]). Sampling, site and aggregation characteristics are summariszed in table 1. Two prominent modes of active in-water reef fishing were observed at the fished site: hook-and-line and spearfishing, both involveing fishers free-diving in the water (RK, personal observation, details in ESM, electronic supplementary material 1). Anti-predator behavioural responses have been demonstrated in response to both fishing scenarios [16,17,21].
2.2.Squaretail grouper spawning aggregations
Squaretail groupers aggreg..., , # **Do risk-prone behaviours compromise reproduction and increase vulnerability of fish aggregations exposed to fishing?**

[https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.ncjsxkt33](https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.ncjsxkt33)

# Description of the data and file structure

The dataset consists of 6 data files:

**FID.csv**: This dataset contains estimates of reactive anti-predatory responses in male squaretail groupers based on experimental manipulation of predation risk (i.e, predator simulation). Estimates of flight initiation distance (FID) and return times of 117 males from the fished and unfished aggregation site. Also includes Information on courtship status of male (paired, unpaired), body size. File used to generate Figure 1.

*Metadata description:*
*Date (DD/MM/YYYY): Date the focal observations were made.*
*Island: Name of the Island of the squaretail grouper aggregation site.*
*ID (numeric): Unique Identification number given to a focal individual.*
*size (cm) : Total body size (cm) of the foca...