Meeting Abstract
Animal personality is frequently defined as the existence of consistent behavioral differences between individuals. A well-studied personality trait is boldness/shyness, with bolder individuals being more willing to engage in risky behaviors. This is often measured through foraging, predation, and startle tests. A growing number of studies suggest the presence of personality among invertebrates, including crustaceans. Different personality types can have differential fitness based on environmental conditions such as predation rates and food availability, and thus, are predicted to coexist when conditions are variable. Mantis shrimps (order Stomatopoda) have a versatile repertoire of behaviors used in shelter defense, foraging, and aggression, providing an ideal system in which to study behavioral variation between individuals. This study investigated individual differences in behaviors that may be associated with boldness in the mantis shrimp Neogonodactylus oerstedii. Three assays were carried out to measure behaviors related to boldness: (1) exploration of a novel area containing an unoccupied shelter; (2) reaction to a startling event, and latency to resume foraging afterward; and (3) response to an invasive novel object. To test for individual consistency, individuals were tested twice in each assay, with no less than 14 days between an individual’s first and second trials. Analyses presented will establish 1) if individuals are different from each other, 2) if individuals are consistent in their behavioral profiles, and 3) if there are correlations between behaviors. If these conditions are met, it will indicate the presence of personality in this species.
