Aggression and fish welfare: challenges and opportunities

Key Points

• This article examines how aggression in socially complex bony fishes affects their welfare, particularly in captive environments.
• Discussion of species-specific behaviors, particularly focusing on cichlids.
• Examination of aggression-related injuries in pet stores and research settings.
• Exploration of methods to mitigate the negative impacts of territorial aggression.
• Territorial aggression leads to increased injuries and deaths among fish in captivity.
• Effective strategies to minimize aggression-related harm are necessary for improving fish welfare.

Abstract