Behavioral type–environment correlations occur when specific behavioral types of individuals are more common in certain environments. Behavioral type–environment correlations can be generated by several different mechanisms that are probably very common such as niche construction and phenotypic plasticity. Moreover, behavioral type–environment correlations have important ecological and evolutionary implications. However, few studies have examined behavioral type–environment correlations in natural populations. In this study, we asked whether some behavioral types of three-spined stickleback were more likely to occur in certain social environments (alone or in a shoal with other stickleback) or in certain microhabitats in a river (in the open or under cover). We found that individuals that were in shoals with other stickleback at the time of collection from the field emerged from a refuge more quickly compared to individuals that were found alone. In addition, fish that were alone in an open microhabitat explored more of a pool compared to fish that were alone in cover, but this difference did not occur among fish that were in shoals at the time of collection. Subsequent analyses of gut contents suggested that differences in microhabitat use were consistent over time. Our study provides some of the first evidence for behavioral type–environment correlations in a natural population of non-human animals.

中文翻译：

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该领域的行为类型 - 环境相关性：三刺棘鱼的研究

当个体的特定行为类型在某些环境中更为常见时，就会出现行为类型-环境相关性。行为类型-环境相关性可以通过几种不同的机制产生，这些机制可能非常常见，例如生态位构建和表型可塑性。此外，行为类型与环境的相关性具有重要的生态和进化意义。然而，很少有研究检查自然种群中行为类型与环境的相关性。在这项研究中，我们询问了某些行为类型的三刺棘鱼是否更可能出现在某些社会环境中（单独或与其他棘鱼一起在浅滩中）或河流中的某些微生境中（露天或隐蔽）。我们发现，与单独发现的个体相比，在野外采集时与其他刺鱼一起在浅滩中的个体从避难所出来的速度更快。此外，与单独在隐蔽处的鱼相比，单独在开放式微生境中的鱼探索更多的水池，但这种差异在收集时在浅滩中的鱼之间没有发生。随后对肠道内容物的分析表明，随着时间的推移，微生境使用的差异是一致的。我们的研究为非人类动物的自然种群中的行为类型-环境相关性提供了一些初步证据。与单独在隐蔽处的鱼相比，单独在开放式微生境中的鱼探索更多的水池，但这种差异在收集时在浅滩中的鱼之间没有发生。随后对肠道内容物的分析表明，随着时间的推移，微生境使用的差异是一致的。我们的研究为非人类动物的自然种群中的行为类型-环境相关性提供了一些初步证据。与单独在隐蔽处的鱼相比，单独在开放式微生境中的鱼探索更多的水池，但这种差异在收集时在浅滩中的鱼之间没有发生。随后对肠道内容物的分析表明，随着时间的推移，微生境使用的差异是一致的。我们的研究为非人类动物的自然种群中的行为类型-环境相关性提供了一些初步证据。