Ethology

Ethology calls on a wide range of disciplines including genetics, physiology, ecology, developmental biology, and evolution to converge in an integrated view of the organism, its function, and its interactions with its physical system. Among the vertebrates, bird and mammal behaviour have been the subject of much investigation, whereas fish behaviour is still relatively unknown barring a few exceptions, in particular species that are popular with aquarium enthusiasts. The majority of studies on African fishes focus on two families, the Mormyridae because of their particular means of communication (electric signals), and the Cichlidae, owing to their economic importance and significance in evolutionary science with the “species flocks” in the African great lakes (see box, “History of the ethology of African fishes”; chapter Diversity of African fish: a heritage of evolution)