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bioRxiv · 10.64898/2026.09.17.752300

Beyond the glass: testing visitor effects on the behavior of captive teleost fish in public aquaria

Vincent, L.·Turco, T.·Mourin, J.·Attia, J.·Tribot, A.-S.
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Abstract

Zoos and public aquariums serve as essential hubs for wildlife conservation, public education, and scientific research; however, the success of these missions depends upon maintaining high animal welfare standards despite constant human presence. A primary concern is the 'visitor effect': the alteration of animal behavior due to human presence. While this phenomenon is well-documented in captive mammals and has been explored in chondrichthyes, it remains largely unexamined in teleost fish, despite evidence of their sensitivity to human stimuli in natural environments. This study addresses this knowledge gap by investigating the behavioral responses of 13 teleost species to varying levels of crowd density, direct human solicitation, and ambient noise. Our multivariate analysis reveals that visitor density and visitor-induced disturbances are significant drivers of behavioral change, with species identity acting as the primary source of variance. We observed high inter-taxonomic variability: while several species (including Euxiphipops sextriatus, Dascyllus aruanus, and Zebrasoma flavescens) showed marked sensitivity through significant alterations in stress-coping, exploration, and aggression, others remained behaviorally stable. Furthermore, acoustic analysis indicates a complex soundscape where visitor density correlates with increased sound amplitude, particularly in the 100 Hz to 400 Hz range, a critical band for teleost hearing suggesting that visitor-induced noise is distinct from the aquarium's technical background noise. These findings underscore that the 'visitor effect' is not a uniform phenomenon but a complex interaction shaped by species-specific sensitivity and distinct anthropogenic stressors. Our results highlight the necessity of incorporating species-specific behavioral data and acoustic monitoring into welfare management protocols to better mitigate the impact of human presence on captive fish populations.

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Vincent, L., Turco, T., Mourin, J., Attia, J., Tribot, A.-S.. 2026-09-23. Beyond the glass: testing visitor effects on the behavior of captive teleost fish in public aquaria. https://doi.org/10.64898/2026.09.17.752300

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