A note on alarm cues in juvenile African catfish, Clarias gariepinus Burchell: Indications for opposing behavioural strategies

Following exposure of African catfish to alarm cues, a relationship (rp = 0.60, N = 10, P = 0.07) between feed efficiency (measured as residual feed intake) and the change in percentage of time spent swimming in response to damage-released alarm cues was observed. Feed-efficient animals responded with a decrease in percentage of time spent swimming (P < 0.05) whereas feed-inefficient animals responded with an increase in percentage of time spent swimming (P < 0.05). This study shows opposing behavioural strategies in African catfish in response to damage-released alarm cues being related to feeding efficiency.