Behavioral divergence across replicated predation regimes is species-specific in two sympatric poeciliid fishes

In replicated high- versus low-predation regimes, behavioral and cognitive divergence differs by species: Poecilia latipinna shows higher boldness and lower exploration under high predation, unlike Gambusia affinis (N = 509).

• Why it matters: Predation can shape behavioral divergence, but it is unclear whether coexisting prey species respond similarly to the same predator environment, especially when their reproductive and foraging traits differ.
• What they did: The study compared exploration, shyness, boldness, social motivation, and detour solve latency across replicate predation regimes for both species, using multivariate analyses on 509 fish.
• The result: Divergence between predation regimes is linked to species identity rather than body size, implying shared predator environments can yield different behavioral outcomes across taxa.

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