The network approach in teleost fishes and elasmobranchs

The study of teleost fishes has played an important role in pushing the boundaries of behavioural ecology, including research topics such as the evolution of life-history traits, sexual selection, cooperation, and collective behaviour and decision making. This chapter outlines how the application of a social networks approach to fish can advance the understanding of some of these research topics and make a contribution towards a better understanding of social patterns and processes in general. It also discusses important methodological issues (e.g. identification, marking, and tracking individuals) and highlights new developments in this area and their implications for the study of fish behaviour. Finally, this chapter outlines promising future research areas for the application of a social networks approach to fish.