1. Personality dimensions in the common octopus (<italic>Octopus vulgaris</italic>)
- Author
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Mazza, Valeria, Pacchiarotti, Giulia, Strinati, Claudia, Carlini, Alessandro, Mather, Jennifer A., and Carere, Claudio
- Abstract
Understanding the origin, universality, and maintenance of among-individual variation in behaviour is a current focus of behavioural ecology and comparative psychology. Research on animal personality emphasising the central role of the individual contributes to conservation efforts and animal welfare by tailoring guidelines and interventions at the individual level. Cephalopods are understudied in this respect, despite being the only invertebrate group currently included in international directives for the protection of animals used for scientific purposes. Here, we assessed among-individual variation in behavioural responses (i.e., animal personality) of 21 common octopuses (
Octopus vulgaris ) temporarily kept in captivity. We performed a battery of tests across three different experimental contexts, namely a Startle test, a Foraging test, and a Disturbance test, each repeated for four consecutive days, adapting established protocols from other cephalopods. Behavioural variables were moderately repeatable. Results of a principal component analysis revealed a three-component structure, with components we labelled Alertness, Exploration, and Boldness. The components were also moderately repeatable. The components Exploration and Boldness predicted each other across experimental contexts, suggesting a behavioural syndrome. Overall, findings indicate marked individual differences in common octopuses, and provide evidence of personality dimensions in a widely used animal model in neurophysiology and cognition. Our findings thus contribute to the study of the evolution of personality structure from a comparative perspective, and may help individual-level welfare refinement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]- Published
- 2024
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