The presence of bystanders can influence the behaviour of a forager, which has mainly been studied in primates and birds. We tested the effect of the absence and presence of an unfamiliar audience (females, males, and their combination) near or far from a food patch, on the foraging behaviour of guppies (Poecilia reticulata). Our investigation includes both males and females, recognising that different social dynamics and reproductive strategies between the sexes could lead to varied responses to audience effects. For each focal fish, we measured the latency to start feeding, bite frequency, time spent near the audience, and overall mobility. Both males and females started feeding faster when food was close to any audience type. Specifically, females exhibited a faster feeding response in the presence of a female audience. Males reduced their feeding rate in the presence of male and mixed audiences, while both sexes increased their consumption when food was close to the audience. Focal fish, irrespective of their sex, spent more time in the vicinity of the audience zone when the audience was present but, surprisingly, females spent less time with a female audience compared to others. Only females increased their mobility when the food patch was far from any audience. Here we show that guppies adjust their foraging behaviour in the presence of an audience. The specific responses observed varied between the sexes, reflecting the distinct social trade-offs faced by each sex.

中文翻译：

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孔雀鱼觅食中的性别依赖性观众效应

旁观者的存在会影响觅食者的行为，这一点主要在灵长类动物和鸟类中进行了研究。我们测试了靠近或远离食物区的陌生观众（雌性、雄性及其组合）的缺席和存在对孔雀鱼（Poecilia reticulata）觅食行为的影响。我们的调查包括男性和女性，认识到两性之间不同的社会动态和生殖策略可能会导致对受众效应的不同反应。对于每条焦点鱼，我们测量了开始进食的延迟时间、咬食频率、靠近观众的时间以及整体活动能力。当食物接近任何观众类型时，雄性和雌性都开始更快地进食。具体来说，在女性观众面前，女性表现出更快的进食反应。当有男性和混合观众在场时，雄性会降低进食率，而当食物靠近观众时，雄性和雌性都会增加进食量。当观众在场时，焦点鱼，无论性别如何，都会在观众区附近花费更多的时间，但令人惊讶的是，与其他鱼相比，雌性与女性观众在一起的时间更少。当食物区远离任何观众时，只有雌性会增加活动能力。在这里，我们展示了孔雀鱼在观众面前调整其觅食行为。观察到的具体反应因性别而异，反映了每种性别面临的独特的社会权衡。