Changes in the acoustic environment alter the foraging and sheltering behaviour of the cichlid Amititlania nigrofasciata

• Noise is a major global pollutant.
• It can affect the behaviour of many species.
• We examined the effect of noise on a couple of behaviours in fish.
• We used tank-based noise exposure experiments.
• Noise exposure increased sheltering and decreased foraging.
• Thus, exposure to noise has multiple negative effects on an individual’s behaviour.

Anthropogenic noise can affect behaviour across a wide range of species in both terrestrial and aquatic environments. However, behaviours might not be affected in isolation. Therefore, a more holistic approach investigating how environmental stressors, such as noise pollution, affect different behaviours in concert is necessary. Using tank-based noise exposure experiments, we tested how changes in the acoustic environment affect the behaviour of the cichlid Amatitlania nigrofasciata. We found that exposure to anthropogenic noise affected a couple of behaviours: an increase in sheltering was accompanied by a decrease in foraging. Our results highlight the multiple negative effects of an environmental stressor on an individual’s behaviour.