Differing selective effects on body size, swimming performance, and behaviour by passive and active fishing gears in an artisanal fishery

Fishing gear type can also influence which traits are targeted, shaping selection direction. While trait-based selection has been studied in commercial and recreational fisheries, its role in small-scale artisanal fisheries, such as the ornamental trade, is virtually unknown.

We reveal how different artisanal gears target behavioural and physiological traits in wild cardinal tetra (Paracheirodon axelrodi), a species central to this trade. Fish were collected in the Amazon Basin using passive (traps) or active (nets) gears and tested under controlled laboratory conditions. Swimming performance was quantified via a constant acceleration test, and behavioural phenotypes (risk-taking, exploration, activity, and social cohesion) were assessed using open field, novel object, and maze assays.