Biochemical correlates of aggressive behavior in the Siamese fighting fish

Abstract The S iamese fighting fish B etta splendens is a facultative air‐breathing freshwater fish often used for studying the physiological bases of agonistic behaviors. The agonistic interactions typical of paired male conspecifics are energetically costly, as indicated by associated increases in whole‐animal metabolic rate. However, little is known about the biochemical responses that underlie metabolism and performance during agonistic …