DOI: 10.5061/dryad.0p2ngf2cw
title: Data from: Personality, predation, and group size: Unravelling behavioural drivers of lionfish (<em>Pterois volitans</em>) invasion success

description: Global biodiversity is in rapid decline, with invasive alien species (IAS)
 playing a major role. Predicting which IAS are most damaging and under
 what conditions is key to proactive management. We investigated whether
 behavioural traits, specifically boldness and exploration, predict
 ecological impact in the invasive red lionfish (Pterois volitans). Using
 repeated behavioural assays, we found strong personality consistency: 93%
 of juveniles and 56% of adults used shelter, with traits like latency to
 interact with novel objects showing high repeatability. Bold individuals
 spent less time in shelter and interacted more with novel stimuli.
 However, in groups of eight, personality expression shifted, only 7% of
 juveniles and 44% of adults used shelter, indicating that social context
 alters behaviour. Functional response experiments revealed Type II feeding
 curves across three prey species, with adults showing significantly higher
 attack rates and lower handling times than juveniles. Maximum feeding
 rates reached 440.17 for adults (Artemia salina) and 30.63 for juveniles
 (Gammarus oceanicus). Contrary to expectations, boldness did not correlate
 with feeding impact but was linked to slower reaction times in shy
 individuals. These findings highlight the complex, context-dependent
 relationship between personality and ecological impact during IAS
 invasions.
description: # README for Lionfish Behavioural Experiment Dataset
 (All_lionfish_behaviour_data.xlsx) ## 1. Summary of Experimental Efforts
 This dataset represents a series of laboratory experiments on the invasive
 lionfish (*Pterois volitans*) to examine individual and group predatory
 behaviors as well as reactions to novel stimuli. The lionfish were divided
 into juvenile and adult classes and exposed to consistent prey (*Gammarus
 oceanicus*) under controlled conditions. The dataset includes prey
 consumption metrics, group dynamics, and interaction times with novel
 objects. ## 2. Description of File Structure and Contents The dataset is
 organized in a single Excel workbook with the following worksheets: *
 **Adult LF**: Feeding behavior of individual adult lionfish. * **juvenille
 LF**: Feeding behavior of juvenile lionfish. * **Group 2**: Trials
 involving two lionfish in a group setting. * **Group 4:** Trials involving
 two lionfish in a group setting. * **Group 8**: Feeding data with all
 eight lionfish together. * **Novel.object.adt.**: Behavioural data on
 adult lionfish interacting with novel objects. * **Novel.object juv.**:
 Similar trials with juvenile lionfish. ## 3. Definitions of Variables,
 Abbreviations, Missing Data Codes, and Units ### General Variables: *
 `predator`: Lionfish ID * `LF type`: Lionfish size class (`Large`,
 `small`) * `prey`: Prey species (*G. oceanicus*) * `density`: Number of
 prey introduced (individuals) * `eaten`: Prey consumed (count) * `alive`:
 Prey remaining at end (count) * `time (mins)`: Trial duration in minutes *
 `novel object`: number depending on the type of novel object used as there
 were three different ones * `reaction time` / `reaction times`: Time to
 first attack (HH:MM:SS), missing values = no response ### Group Trials: *
 `LF in Group`: IDs of lionfish present in group * `temp`: Temperature
 during experiment (°C) ### Novel Object Trials: * `Lionfish ID`: ID of the
 fish * `Round`: Experimental repetition * `time to reach object`: Time to
 first interaction (HH:MM:SS) * `seconds to reach object`: Same, in seconds
 * `time in open water` / `seconds in open water`: Time spent outside
 shelter * `time in shelter` / `seconds in shelter`: Time spent in shelter
 * `times at shelter`: Frequency of shelter return * `hits of object`:
 Number of physical contacts with the object * `Time spent at 0-5cm`,
 `5-10cm`, `&gt;10cm`: Time spent at distances from novel object (HH:MM:SS
 or MM:SS) * `Rank`: Boldness ranking (lower rank = bolder fish) **Missing
 Data:** Represented as blank or `NaN`, generally indicates no event
 occurred within the trial time. ## 4. Links to Other Publicly Accessible
 Data Locations This dataset is hosted on Dryad ## 5. Sources of Data All
 data were generated by the research team from original experiments. No
 external datasets were used. ## 6. Additional Notes for Reuse or
 Replication * Trials were standardized to 60 minutes unless stated
 otherwise. * Ensure environmental parameters (e.g., temperature, tank
 structure, lighting) are consistent for replication. * Time data formats
 vary slightly across sheets (e.g., `HH:MM:SS`, `MM:SS`, seconds); care
 should be taken when parsing.