Metabolic rate and behavioral traits in Salmo trutta

The behavior of organisms can be subject to human induced selection such
as that arising from fishing. Angling is expected to induce mortality on
fish with bold and explorative behavior, which are behaviors commonly
linked to a high standard metabolic rate. We studied the transgenerational
response of brown trout (Salmo trutta) to angling-induced selection by
examining the behavior and metabolism of 1-year-old parr between parents
that were or were not captured by experimental fly fishing. We performed
the angling selection experiment on both a wild and a captive population,
and compared the offspring for standard metabolic rate and behavior under
predation risk in common garden conditions. Angling had
population-specific effects on risk taking and exploration tendency, but
no effects on standard metabolic rate. Our study adds to the evidence that
angling can induce transgenerational responses on fish personality.
However, understanding the mechanisms of divergent responses between the
populations requires further study on the selectivity of angling in
various conditions.