Table 3 Definitions of behaviours coded from video footage that were attributed to acceleration data. Behaviours that were initiated by researchers are marked with ^a

Feed^a

Between 1400 and 2000 g of pellet feed was dispersed into the tank from the surface and fish were observed accelerating towards and consuming pellets. Typically lasted 3–5 min, until pellets were exhausted.

Escape^a

Five trials per individual of 5-min in length where a researcher used a long pole to initiate burst swimming behaviour by following tagged fish with the pole until fish was out of reach. Only events where fish were visually observed to react to the presence of the pole where included as escape.

Courtship

Included both typical chase preceding spawning and actual spawning events, due to low sample size of visually confirmed spawning events (n = 8). A typical chase was identified from the tagged individual(s) chasing another kingfish by closely following behind or next to another fish with increase in swim speed, often rubbing nose on the underside of the body or nipping at pelvic or caudal fins [31]. Spawning was identified by a group of individuals (including tagged fish) closely rubbing bodies, followed by large burst swimming by involved individuals lasting < 10 s, and with gametes observed in the water column.

Chafe

Individual rolls to face one side of the body to the surface either in mid-water or to the bottom of the tank. Roll motion where dorsal side contacts surface or substrate in an effort to remove unwanted parasites or foreign bodies [19, 36]

Swim

Typical swim behaviours with no burst or roll events, steady lateral undulatory locomotion [19, 29]. 1500 s of swimming behaviour was allocated during periods where fish could be directly observed regularly swimming around the tank with no bursts in acceleration amplitude observed. These periods were allocated as five random, 5-min periods with good visibility, and not within 30 min of feed- or escape trials.