Social learning in young-of-the-year perch encountering a novel food type

Young-of-the-year perch Perca fluviatilis were presented with a novel food type, dry feed, in the presence or absence of demonstrators, who were experienced to the feed. Most inexperienced fish lost mass in the beginning of the study, but untrained fish in the presence of demonstrators already had positive average growth during the first time period. There was a positive correlation between boldness and body mass change. Both social environment and individual characteristics thus seem to affect learning in perch. (C) 2003 The Fisheries society of the British Isles.