Age-dependent winner-loser effects in a mangrove rivulus fish, Kryptolebias marmoratus

The outcomes of recent fights can provide individuals information about their relative fighting ability and affect their contest decisions (winner-loser effects). Most studies investigate the presence/absence of the effects in populations/species, but here we examine how they vary between individuals of a species in response to age-dependent growth rate. Many animals' fighting ability is highly dependent on body size, so rapid growth makes information from previous fights unreliable. Furthermore, fast-growing individuals are often at earlier developmental stages and are relatively smaller and weaker than most other individuals but are growing larger and stronger quickly. We therefore predicted winner-loser effects to be less detectable in individuals with high than low growth rates and to decay more quickly. Fast-growing individuals should also display stronger winner than loser effects, because a victory when small indicates a strength which will grow, whereas a loss might soon become irrelevant. We tested these predictions using naive individuals of a mangrove killifish, Kryptolebias marmoratus, in different growth stages. Measures of contest intensity revealed winner/loser effects only for slow-growth individuals. Both fast- and slow-growth fish with a winning experience won more of the subsequent non-escalated contests than those with a losing experience; in fast-growth individuals this effect disappeared in 3 days, but in slow-growth fish it did not. Fast-growth individuals also displayed winner effects but not loser effects. The fish therefore responded to their contest experiences in a way which reflected value of the information from these experiences to them, consistent with our predictions.

Automated summary

The outcomes of recent fights can affect individuals' contest decisions and their fighting ability in relation to their growth rate. This study focused on the variation of winner-loser effects in individuals of a species based on their age-dependent growth rates. It was found that fast-growing individuals were less likely to detect winner-loser effects and the effects decayed more quickly. Additionally, fast-growing individuals displayed stronger winner effects but not loser effects. These findings suggest that individuals respond to their contest experiences in a way that reflects the value of the information obtained, consistent with the predictions.