Summary: Dzieweczynski et al (2012)

Communication between individuals is more likely to occur when they interact in groups, than when encountering individuals alone. However, other social factors might also influence communication between individuals. Dzieweczynski et al (2012) used Siamese fighting fish Betta splendens to investigate whether prior experience with an opponent influences the audience effect on male-male interactions. They found that males were more aggressive (opponent-directed gill flaring) when they were unfamiliar with each other and there were other males in the nearby vicinity. In contrast, they found that, when females were in the nearby vicinity, males made more opponent-directed tail beats, a behaviour more commonly associated with courtship than opponent-directed gill flaring. Dzieweczynski et al (2012) suggest that prior history with an opponent, in conjunction with the type of audience, can interact to influence aggressive interactions in Siamese fighting fish.