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Kin recognition in fish mediated by chemical cues

  • Chapter
Fish Chemoreception

Part of the book series: Fish & Fisheries Series ((FIFI,volume 6))

Abstract

There is an increasing number of studies which show that social organisms frequently have the ability to distinguish relatives from non-relatives, and determine their degree of relatedness (reviews: Holmes and Sherman, 1983; Blaustein and O’Hara, 1986; Fletcher and Michener, 1987; Waldman, 1988). Kin recognition is shown by differential behaviour to traits ‘labels’, often based on odours) of conspecifics according to their genetic relatedness. The ability to recognize kin may decrease the risk of close inbreeding. It may also, by way of altruistic behaviour directed towards genetic relatives, increase an individual’s inclusive fitness (Hamilton, 1964). An individual’s ‘inclusive fitness’ is not only determined by its own reproductive success, but also by the survival and reproductive success of closely related individuals, which increase the probability that genes identical to its own pass on to the next generation (Hamilton, 1964). It has been proposed that there are four possible mechanisms for kin recognition (Blaustein, 1983; Holmes and Sherman, 1983; Waldman, 1988).

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  1. K. Håkan Olsén
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Freshwater Institute, Canada

    Toshiaki J. Hara

  2. Department of Zoology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, R3T 2N6, Canada

    Toshiaki J. Hara

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Olsén, K.H. (1992). Kin recognition in fish mediated by chemical cues. In: Hara, T.J. (eds) Fish Chemoreception. Fish & Fisheries Series, vol 6. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-2332-7_11

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-2332-7_11

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