The impact of catch-and-release on feeding responses and aggressive behavior in Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus)

• Autor(a) principal: Camargo-dos-Santos, Bruno [UNESP]
• Data de Publicação: 2021
• Outros Autores: Rossi, Vanessa Stramantinoli [UNESP], Gonçalves, Bruno Bastos [UNESP], Leutz, Juliane de Abreu Campos Machado [UNESP], Giaquinto, Percilia Cardoso [UNESP], Sabbadin Zanuzzo, Fábio [UNESP]
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: eng
• Título da fonte: Repositório Institucional da UNESP
• Texto Completo: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10236244.2021.1953380; http://hdl.handle.net/11449/229186
• topic: aggressivity; Catch-and-release; fish behavior; oreochromis niloticus; recreational fishing; sub-lethal effects

Catch-and-Release (C&R) practice may result in post-release mortality in fish. Therefore, most C&R studies have focused on endangered or highly valued target species, and less attention has been given to introduced/abundant species, which indeed are important from an ecological point of view. Nile tilapia is considered an introduced species in many areas and is a commonly caught species in recreational fisheries; therefore, understanding the impacts of C&R on tilapia is also important from an animal welfare perspective. We investigated whether C&R impacts the aggressive behavior and feeding responses of Nile tilapia, characteristics that impair the welfare and the ability of an individual to have success in its ecosystem. Surprisingly, C&R did not affect these responses, and our results suggest that Nile tilapia may be relatively more resilient to C&R, and that C&R practices may act as an additional selective force towards the ecological success of Nile tilapia as introduced species.