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Gnanadesikan GE, Bray EE, Cook EN, Levy KM, Douglas LELC, Kennedy BS, Tecot SR, MacLean EL. Basal plasma oxytocin & fecal cortisol concentrations are highly heritable and associated with individual differences in behavior & cognition in dog puppies. Horm Behav 2024; 165:105612. [PMID: 39116461 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2024.105612] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2024] [Revised: 07/15/2024] [Accepted: 07/25/2024] [Indexed: 08/10/2024]
Abstract
Oxytocin and cortisol are hormones that can influence cognition and behavior, but the relationships between endogenous concentrations and individual differences in cognitive and behavioral phenotypes remain poorly understood. Across mammals, oxytocin has important roles in diverse social behaviors, and in dogs, it has been implicated in human-oriented behaviors such as social gaze and point-following. Cortisol, an end-product of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, is often studied in relation to temperament and emotional reactivity, but it is also known to modulate executive functions. In this study, we measured basal fecal cortisol (n = 247) and plasma oxytocin (n = 249) in dog puppies from a pedigreed population (Canine Companions ®). We collected cognitive and behavioral data from these subjects (n = 247), including measures of human-oriented social cognition, memory, inhibitory control, perceptual discriminations, and temperament. Oxytocin concentrations were estimated to be very highly heritable (h2 = 0.90-0.99) and cortisol concentrations were estimated to be moderately-highly heritable (h2 = 0.43-0.47). Bayesian mixed models controlling for relatedness revealed that oxytocin concentrations were positively associated with spatial working memory and displayed a negative quadratic relationship with behavioral laterality, but no credible associations were seen for social measures. Cortisol concentrations exhibited a negative linear relationship with performance on an inhibitory control task and a negative quadratic relationship with bold behavioral reactions to a novel object. Collectively, our results suggest that individual differences in oxytocin and cortisol concentrations are under strong genetic control in dogs and are associated with phenotypic variation in aspects of temperament, behavioral laterality, and executive function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gitanjali E Gnanadesikan
- School of Anthropology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA; Laboratory for the Evolutionary Endocrinology of Primates, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA; Cognitive Science Program, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA; Department of Anthropology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA.
| | - Emily E Bray
- School of Anthropology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA; Canine Companions for Independence, Santa Rosa, CA 95402, USA; College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA; Psychology Department, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA
| | - Erica N Cook
- School of Anthropology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA; Laboratory for the Evolutionary Endocrinology of Primates, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA
| | - Kerinne M Levy
- Canine Companions for Independence, Santa Rosa, CA 95402, USA
| | | | | | - Stacey R Tecot
- School of Anthropology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA; Laboratory for the Evolutionary Endocrinology of Primates, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA
| | - Evan L MacLean
- School of Anthropology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA; Cognitive Science Program, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA; College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA; Psychology Department, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA
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2
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Fernando GCP, Khansari AR, Tort L. Response to chronic crowding stress in shy and bold behavioral groups of male and female zebrafish. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol 2024; 327:R275-R290. [PMID: 38842516 DOI: 10.1152/ajpregu.00041.2024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2024] [Revised: 05/08/2024] [Accepted: 05/14/2024] [Indexed: 06/07/2024]
Abstract
In recent years, there has been a burgeoning interest in exploring the nuances of animal stress physiology, particularly in relation to parameters such as sex and behavioral phenotype-dependent variations, which is crucial for understanding phenotypic variation and its role in evolutionary selection. However, a significant dearth remains in how chronic stressors affect organismal stress physiology concerning the aforesaid parameters. This void is even wider pertaining to the response of peripheral tissues, such as the skin, the organ with the highest surface contact area with the environment. Hence, we behaviorally grouped the zebrafishes based on their boldness and the body condition, whole body cortisol response, along with examining the transcriptional response, global DNA methylome, and oxidative DNA damage in the skin upon chronic crowding. Upon baseline conditions, clear distinction between bold and shy phenotypes was found, particularly in males. The boldness index score distribution exhibited greater uniformity in males than in females. Regarding the body condition response to chronic crowding, shy males showed a significant relative decline compared with their bold counterparts, while this trend did not hold true for females. qPCR data revealed distinctive expression patterns in key genes that play critical roles in cellular processes such as stress-mediated gene regulation, immune response, oxidative stress protection, and maintenance of genomic integrity through epigenetic modifications across behavioral phenotypes and sexes under both with and without chronic crowding stress. Global DNA methylation levels significantly declined only in chronically crowded shy males, and sex/behavioral phenotype-dependent trends in oxidative DNA damage were identified.NEW & NOTEWORTHY This paper analyzes the response of zebrafish to crowding stress through a new approach focused on the peripheral response dynamics of the skin, the main mucosal tissue, and involving sex and behavioral phenotype influences. Shy males showed significant distress as observed by body condition, physiological and transcriptional response, and global DNA methylation. Nuances in stress response across behavioral phenotypes and sex indicate a genetic and behavioral specificity and further inherent epigenetic regulatory dimension.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gallage Chanuka P Fernando
- Department of Cell Biology Physiology and Immunology, Autonomous University of Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain
| | - Ali R Khansari
- Department of Cell Biology Physiology and Immunology, Autonomous University of Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Lluis Tort
- Department of Cell Biology Physiology and Immunology, Autonomous University of Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain
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Gebauer T, Gebauer R, Císař P, Černý J, Roy DR, Zare M, Verleih M, Stejskal V, Rebl A. Are bold-shy personalities of European perch (Perca fluviatilis) linked to stress tolerance and immunity? A scope of harnessing fish behavior in aquaculture. FISH & SHELLFISH IMMUNOLOGY 2023; 143:109190. [PMID: 37890737 DOI: 10.1016/j.fsi.2023.109190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2023] [Revised: 10/20/2023] [Accepted: 10/24/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023]
Abstract
The sensitivity to stress and its impact on immunity are supposedly related to a fish's personality. In the present study, European perch (Perca fluviatilis) were exposed to an open-field and a novel-object test to identify distinctive shy and bold individuals. This series of cognitive tests revealed clear differences between proactive individuals with pronounced exploration behavior (bold personality) and reactive individuals that took a freeze-hide position (shy personality). A cohort of shy and bold perch was then exposed to elevated stocking density. Frozen activity and lower explorative behavior were related to higher basal and stocking-induced cortisol levels compared to proactive individuals. Since cortisol is a well-known modulator of immune-gene expression, we used multiplex real-time PCR to profile the differential immune responses to the intraperitoneal injection of Aeromonas hydrophila in the head kidney and peritoneal cells of bold and shy perch individuals. These expression differences between stimulated bold and shy perch were generally modest, except for the genes encoding the complement component c3 and the matrix metallopeptidase mmp9. The strong differential expression of these two bactericidal and inflammatory genes in the context of the modestly regulated features suggests that a fish's personality is linked to a particular immune-defense strategy. In conclusion, our approach, based on behavioral video observations, phagocytosis and enzyme assays, immunogene-expression profiling, and quantification of stress-relevant metabolites, revealed indications for divergent coping styles in cohorts of bold or shy European perch. This divergence could be exploited in future selective breeding programs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tatyana Gebauer
- University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, Faculty of Fisheries and Protection of Waters, South Bohemian Research Centre of Aquaculture and Biodiversity of Hydrocenoses, Institute of Aquaculture and Protection of Waters, 370 05, České Budějovice, Czech Republic.
| | - Radek Gebauer
- University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, Faculty of Fisheries and Protection of Waters, South Bohemian Research Centre of Aquaculture and Biodiversity of Hydrocenoses, Institute of Aquaculture and Protection of Waters, 370 05, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Petr Císař
- University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, Faculty of Fisheries and Protection of Waters, CENAKVA, Institute of Complex Systems, Laboratory of Signal and Image Processing, 373 33, Nové Hrady, Czech Republic
| | - Jan Černý
- University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, Faculty of Fisheries and Protection of Waters, South Bohemian Research Centre of Aquaculture and Biodiversity of Hydrocenoses, Institute of Aquaculture and Protection of Waters, 370 05, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Deepali Rahi Roy
- University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, Faculty of Fisheries and Protection of Waters, South Bohemian Research Centre of Aquaculture and Biodiversity of Hydrocenoses, Institute of Aquaculture and Protection of Waters, 370 05, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Mahyar Zare
- University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, Faculty of Fisheries and Protection of Waters, South Bohemian Research Centre of Aquaculture and Biodiversity of Hydrocenoses, Institute of Aquaculture and Protection of Waters, 370 05, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Marieke Verleih
- Research Institute for Farm Animal Biology (FBN), Institute of Genome Biology, Fish Genetics Unit, 18196, Dummerstorf, Germany
| | - Vlastimil Stejskal
- University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, Faculty of Fisheries and Protection of Waters, South Bohemian Research Centre of Aquaculture and Biodiversity of Hydrocenoses, Institute of Aquaculture and Protection of Waters, 370 05, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Alexander Rebl
- Research Institute for Farm Animal Biology (FBN), Institute of Genome Biology, Fish Genetics Unit, 18196, Dummerstorf, Germany.
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Carbajal A, Lawrence MJ, Gilmour KM, Lopez-Bejar M, Cooke SJ. Evaluation of the effects of exogenous cortisol manipulation and the glucocorticoid antagonist, RU486, on the exploratory tendency of bluegill sunfish (Lepomis macrochirus). FISH PHYSIOLOGY AND BIOCHEMISTRY 2023; 49:1187-1198. [PMID: 37819483 PMCID: PMC10757703 DOI: 10.1007/s10695-023-01250-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2023] [Accepted: 10/02/2023] [Indexed: 10/13/2023]
Abstract
In teleost fishes, activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-interrenal axis leads to an elevation of circulating cortisol levels as a primary stress response. While acute elevation of cortisol is generally beneficial, long-term elevation, a common characteristic of chronic stress, may lead to detrimental effects on health and physiological performance in fishes. Some stress-mediated behavioural shifts, such as variation along the shy-boldness axis in fish, may influence individual fitness. The present study evaluated the role of cortisol and its mechanisms of action in the exploratory behaviour of the bluegill sunfish (Lepomis macrochirus). Fish were implanted with cocoa butter alone (sham treatment), or cocoa butter containing cortisol, or cortisol and the glucocorticoid receptor antagonist, RU486. A control (untreated) group was also used. Animals were held for 48 h following treatment and then were subjected to a Z-maze trial to characterize the exploratory behaviour. Cortisol treatment had no measurable effect on the exploratory behaviour of bluegill sunfish. Despite presenting a higher probability of refuge emergence, fish treated with cortisol combined with RU486 behaved similarly to cortisol-treated and control groups. While these results suggest that cortisol may not be involved in the mechanisms controlling boldness, the influence of cortisol elevation across longer time periods plus validation in different contexts will be necessary to confirm this conclusion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annaïs Carbajal
- Department of Animal Health and Anatomy, Veterinary Faculty, UniversitatAutònoma de Barcelona, 08193, Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Michael J Lawrence
- Fish Ecology and Conservation Physiology Laboratory, Department of Biology, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
| | | | - Manel Lopez-Bejar
- Department of Animal Health and Anatomy, Veterinary Faculty, UniversitatAutònoma de Barcelona, 08193, Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Western University of Health Sciences, Pomona, CA, USA
| | - Steven J Cooke
- Fish Ecology and Conservation Physiology Laboratory, Department of Biology, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON, Canada
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Duckworth RA, Chenard KC, Meza L, Beiriz MC. Coping styles vary with species' sociality and life history: A systematic review and meta-regression analysis. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 151:105241. [PMID: 37216998 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2022] [Revised: 05/15/2023] [Accepted: 05/17/2023] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Despite a long history of animal studies investigating coping styles, the causal connections between behavior and stress physiology remain unclear. Consistency across taxa in effect sizes would support the idea of a direct causal link maintained by either functional or developmental dependencies. Alternatively, lack of consistency would suggest coping styles are evolutionarily labile. Here, we investigated correlations between personality traits and baseline and stress-induced glucocorticoid levels using a systematic review and meta-analysis. Most personality traits did not consistently vary with either baseline or stress-induced glucocorticoids. Only aggression and sociability showed a consistent negative correlation with baseline glucocorticoids. We found that life history variation affected the relationship between stress-induced glucocorticoid levels and personality traits, especially anxiety and aggression. The relationship between anxiety and baseline glucocorticoids depended on species' sociality with solitary species showing more positive effect sizes. Thus, integration between behavioral and physiological traits depends on species' sociality and life history and suggests high evolutionary lability of coping styles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Renée A Duckworth
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA.
| | - Kathryn C Chenard
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA
| | - Lexis Meza
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA
| | - Maria Carolina Beiriz
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA; Department of Ecology and Natural Resources, Universidade Federal do Ceará, Fortaleza, CE 60440-900, Brazil
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Investigating the Potential Utility of Environmental DNA to Provide a Relative Abundance Index for the Depleted Teleost, Mulloway, Argyrosomus japonicus. DIVERSITY 2023. [DOI: 10.3390/d15030322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/25/2023]
Abstract
Non-invasive, low-cost methods for censusing depleted fish populations are being prioritised among many jurisdictions worldwide. Collecting environmental DNA (eDNA) could offer one such option for augmenting fish population assessments. However, candidate species need to be carefully selected because species-specific DNA shedding and decay rates are affected by many biotic and abiotic factors that may influence relative abundance estimates. In this study, we sought to ascertain if the eDNA of a depleted Australian teleost, mulloway, Argyrosomus japonicus, reflects its weight under controlled aquaria conditions. With four experiments, we investigated the relationships between mulloway eDNA concentrations and their weight tank−1 as a function of: (1) time post-tank establishment; (2) water temperatures (within the species’ tolerance range); (3) stocking densities; and (4) among individual, similar-sized fish. The concentrations of eDNA in tanks stabilised after six days, and a positive relationship was found between fish weight and eDNA concentration, despite some variability in shedding rates by similar-sized fish. There was also a positive effect of water temperature on eDNA concentrations, which reinforces the need to control for such abiotic factors. We conclude that there is strong utility in applying eDNA concentrations as an index of relative abundance for mulloway under controlled conditions, which justifies future field-based investigations.
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7
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Bessa WM, Cadengue LS, Luchiari AC. Fish and chips: Using machine learning to estimate the effects of basal cortisol on fish foraging behavior. Front Behav Neurosci 2023; 17:1028190. [PMID: 36844649 PMCID: PMC9944048 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2023.1028190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2022] [Accepted: 01/23/2023] [Indexed: 02/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Foraging is an essential behavior for animal survival and requires both learning and decision-making skills. However, despite its relevance and ubiquity, there is still no effective mathematical framework to adequately estimate foraging performance that also takes interindividual variability into account. In this work, foraging performance is evaluated in the context of multi-armed bandit (MAB) problems by means of a biological model and a machine learning algorithm. Siamese fighting fish (Betta splendens) were used as a biological model and their ability to forage was assessed in a four-arm cross-maze over 21 trials. It was observed that fish performance varies according to their basal cortisol levels, i.e., a reduced average reward is associated with low and high levels of basal cortisol, while the optimal level maximizes foraging performance. In addition, we suggest the adoption of the epsilon-greedy algorithm to deal with the exploration-exploitation tradeoff and simulate foraging decisions. The algorithm provided results closely related to the biological model and allowed the normalized basal cortisol levels to be correlated with a corresponding tuning parameter. The obtained results indicate that machine learning, by helping to shed light on the intrinsic relationships between physiological parameters and animal behavior, can be a powerful tool for studying animal cognition and behavioral sciences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wallace M. Bessa
- Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, University of Turku, Turku, Finland,*Correspondence: Wallace M. Bessa ✉
| | - Lucas S. Cadengue
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Engenharia Elétrica e de Computação, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil
| | - Ana C. Luchiari
- Departamento de Fisiologia, Centro de Biociências, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil
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Prentice PM, Houslay TM, Wilson AJ. Exploiting animal personality to reduce chronic stress in captive fish populations. Front Vet Sci 2022; 9:1046205. [PMID: 36590805 PMCID: PMC9794626 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2022.1046205] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2022] [Accepted: 11/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Chronic stress is a major source of welfare problems in many captive populations, including fishes. While we have long known that chronic stress effects arise from maladaptive expression of acute stress response pathways, predicting where and when problems will arise is difficult. Here we highlight how insights from animal personality research could be useful in this regard. Since behavior is the first line of organismal defense when challenged by a stressor, assays of shy-bold type personality variation can provide information about individual stress response that is expected to predict susceptibility to chronic stress. Moreover, recent demonstrations that among-individual differences in stress-related physiology and behaviors are underpinned by genetic factors means that selection on behavioral biomarkers could offer a route to genetic improvement of welfare outcomes in captive fish stocks. Here we review the evidence in support of this proposition, identify remaining empirical gaps in our understanding, and set out appropriate criteria to guide development of biomarkers. The article is largely prospective: fundamental research into fish personality shows how behavioral biomarkers could be used to achieve welfare gains in captive fish populations. However, translating potential to actual gains will require an interdisciplinary approach that integrates the expertise and viewpoints of researchers working across animal behavior, genetics, and welfare science.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pamela M. Prentice
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom,Institute of Aquaculture, University of Stirling, Stirling, United Kingdom
| | - Thomas M. Houslay
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom,Ecology and Environment Research Centre, Department of Natural Sciences, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Alastair J. Wilson
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom,*Correspondence: Alastair J. Wilson
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9
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Le Roy A, Mazué GPF, Metcalfe NB, Seebacher F. Diet and temperature modify the relationship between energy use and ATP production to influence behavior in zebrafish ( Danio rerio). Ecol Evol 2021; 11:9791-9803. [PMID: 34306662 PMCID: PMC8293724 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.7806] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2020] [Revised: 05/13/2021] [Accepted: 06/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Food availability and temperature influence energetics of animals and can alter behavioral responses such as foraging and spontaneous activity. Food availability, however, is not necessarily a good indicator of energy (ATP) available for cellular processes. The efficiency of energy transduction from food-derived substrate to ATP in mitochondria can change with environmental context. Our aim was to determine whether the interaction between food availability and temperature affects mitochondrial efficiency and behavior in zebrafish (Danio rerio). We conducted a fully factorial experiment to test the effects of feeding frequency, acclimation temperature (three weeks to 18 or 28°C), and acute test temperature (18 and 28°C) on whole-animal oxygen consumption, mitochondrial bioenergetics and efficiency (ADP consumed per oxygen atom; P:O ratio), and behavior (boldness and exploration). We show that infrequently fed (once per day on four days per week) zebrafish have greater mitochondrial efficiency than frequently fed (three times per day on five days per week) animals, particularly when warm-acclimated. The interaction between temperature and feeding frequency influenced exploration of a novel environment, but not boldness. Both resting rate of producing ATP and scope for increasing it were positively correlated with time spent exploring and distance moved in standardized trials. In contrast, behavior was not associated with whole-animal aerobic (oxygen consumption) scope, but exploration was positively correlated with resting oxygen consumption rates. We highlight the importance of variation in both metabolic (oxygen consumption) rate and efficiency of producing ATP in determining animal performance and behavior. Oxygen consumption represents energy use, and P:O ratio is a variable that determines how much of that energy is allocated to ATP production. Our results emphasize the need to integrate whole-animal responses with subcellular traits to evaluate the impact of environmental conditions on behavior and movement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amélie Le Roy
- School of Life and Environmental SciencesUniversity of SydneySydneyNSWAustralia
| | | | - Neil B. Metcalfe
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative MedicineUniversity of GlasgowGlasgowUK
| | - Frank Seebacher
- School of Life and Environmental SciencesUniversity of SydneySydneyNSWAustralia
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Amin B, Jennings DJ, Smith AF, Quinn M, Chari S, Haigh A, Matas D, Koren L, Ciuti S. In utero accumulated steroids predict neonate anti‐predator response in a wild mammal. Funct Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.13790] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Bawan Amin
- Laboratory of Wildlife Ecology and Behaviour School of Biology and Environmental Science University College Dublin Dublin Ireland
| | | | - Adam F. Smith
- Laboratory of Wildlife Ecology and Behaviour School of Biology and Environmental Science University College Dublin Dublin Ireland
| | - Matthew Quinn
- Laboratory of Wildlife Ecology and Behaviour School of Biology and Environmental Science University College Dublin Dublin Ireland
| | - Srivats Chari
- Laboratory of Wildlife Ecology and Behaviour School of Biology and Environmental Science University College Dublin Dublin Ireland
| | - Amy Haigh
- Laboratory of Wildlife Ecology and Behaviour School of Biology and Environmental Science University College Dublin Dublin Ireland
| | - Devorah Matas
- The Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences Bar‐Ilan University Ramat‐Gan Israel
| | - Lee Koren
- The Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences Bar‐Ilan University Ramat‐Gan Israel
| | - Simone Ciuti
- Laboratory of Wildlife Ecology and Behaviour School of Biology and Environmental Science University College Dublin Dublin Ireland
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11
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Thompson WA, Vijayan MM. Zygotic exposure to venlafaxine disrupts cortisol stress axis activity in multiple generations of zebrafish. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2021; 274:116535. [PMID: 33524651 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2021.116535] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2020] [Revised: 01/13/2021] [Accepted: 01/15/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Ubiquitous use of antidepressants has resulted in increased concentrations of these pharmaceuticals in waterways receiving municipal wastewater effluent. Amongst these, venlafaxine, a selective serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor, is commonly found at concentrations surpassing 1 ppb in surface waters. We recently showed that the deposition of venlafaxine in zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryos impacts neural development in the hypothalamus, suggesting the possibility of neuroendocrine disruptions due to this antidepressant. Here, we tested the hypothesis that early developmental exposure to venlafaxine disrupts the long-term functioning of the hypothalamus-pituitary-interrenal (HPI) axis in zebrafish. Embryos (1-4 cell stage) were injected with either 0, 1, or 10 ng venlafaxine, and the ontogeny of cortisol content, as well as changes in cortisol levels following a stressor in larvae and adults were assessed across 3 generations. Zygotic venlafaxine exposure did not affect the ontogeny of cortisol production, but there was a disruption in the cortisol response to stressor exposure, which was also evident in multiple generations. In the F0 generation, venlafaxine exposure did not affect cortisol levels in response to stressor exposure in larvae, but adult females, and not males, showed an attenuated cortisol response compared to control fish. This reduction in cortisol levels in the females was rescued by stimulation with adrenocorticotropic hormone, suggesting that the disruption was at the level of the hypothalamus-pituitary axis. Venlafaxine-mediated disruption in HPI axis functioning was also evident in the F1 and F2 generations, including impaired cortisol responses to a stressor in adult female and larval fish, respectively. Taken together, our results suggest that venlafaxine is an endocrine disruptor, and early developmental exposure to this antidepressant may have long-term and generational consequences on cortisol stress axis activity in zebrafish.
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Affiliation(s)
- William A Thompson
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta, T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Mathilakath M Vijayan
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta, T2N 1N4, Canada.
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12
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Carbillet J, Rey B, Palme R, Morellet N, Bonnot N, Chaval Y, Cargnelutti B, Hewison AJM, Gilot-Fromont E, Verheyden H. Under cover of the night: context-dependency of anthropogenic disturbance on stress levels of wild roe deer Capreolus capreolus. CONSERVATION PHYSIOLOGY 2020; 8:coaa086. [PMID: 32995004 PMCID: PMC7507870 DOI: 10.1093/conphys/coaa086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2019] [Revised: 08/11/2020] [Accepted: 09/01/2020] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Wildlife populations are increasingly exposed to human-induced modifications of their habitats. To cope with anthropogenic stressors, animals can adjust their behaviour-for example, by shifting their activity to more sheltered habitats, or becoming more nocturnal. However, whether use of spatial and temporal adjustments in behaviour may regulate the endocrine response is poorly documented. Here, we analyzed faecal cortisol metabolites (FCMs) of wild roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) living in a human-dominated agro-ecosystem. Using Global Positioning System monitoring of 116 individuals, we assessed their spatial behaviour and tested whether proximity to anthropogenic structures (linear distance to built-up areas) and the use of refuge habitats (woodland and hedges) influenced FCM levels. In accordance with our predictions, individuals ranging closer to anthropogenic structures during daytime had higher FCM levels, but this relationship was buffered as use of refuge habitat increased. In addition, this link between proximity to anthropogenic structures and FCM levels disappeared when we analyzed spatial behaviour at night. Finally, FCM levels were higher when the ambient temperature was lower, and during years of low resource availability. Our results demonstrate that the stress levels of large mammals may be strongly influenced by their proximity to anthropogenic activities, but that these effects may be buffered by behavioural adjustments in terms of space use and circadian rhythm. Whereas most studies have focused on the influence of environmental heterogeneity, our analysis highlights the need to also consider the fine-scale spatial response of individuals when studying the hormonal response of wild animals to human disturbance. We emphasize the potential to mitigate this hormonal stress response, and its potential negative consequences on population dynamics, through the preservation or restoration of patches of refuge habitat in close proximity to human infrastructure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey Carbillet
- INRAE, CEFS, Université de Toulouse, F-31326, Castanet Tolosan, France
- VetAgro Sup Campus vétérinaire de Lyon, Université de Lyon, F-69280, Marcy-l’Etoile, France
| | - Benjamin Rey
- Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive UMR 5558, CNRS, Université Lyon 1, Université de Lyon, F-69622 Villeurbanne, France
| | - Rupert Palme
- Unit of Physiology, Pathophysiology, and Experimental Endocrinology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, 1210, Austria
| | - Nicolas Morellet
- INRAE, CEFS, Université de Toulouse, F-31326, Castanet Tolosan, France
| | | | - Yannick Chaval
- INRAE, CEFS, Université de Toulouse, F-31326, Castanet Tolosan, France
| | - Bruno Cargnelutti
- INRAE, CEFS, Université de Toulouse, F-31326, Castanet Tolosan, France
| | - A J M Hewison
- INRAE, CEFS, Université de Toulouse, F-31326, Castanet Tolosan, France
| | - Emmanuelle Gilot-Fromont
- VetAgro Sup Campus vétérinaire de Lyon, Université de Lyon, F-69280, Marcy-l’Etoile, France
- Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive UMR 5558, CNRS, Université Lyon 1, Université de Lyon, F-69622 Villeurbanne, France
| | - Hélène Verheyden
- INRAE, CEFS, Université de Toulouse, F-31326, Castanet Tolosan, France
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Earhart ML, Ali JL, Bugg WS, Jeffries KM, Anderson WG. Endogenous cortisol production and its relationship with feeding transitions in larval lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens). Comp Biochem Physiol A Mol Integr Physiol 2020; 249:110777. [PMID: 32738406 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2020.110777] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2020] [Revised: 07/20/2020] [Accepted: 07/21/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Our understanding of the importance of cortisol in the development of fishes largely stems from teleosts and in particular the zebrafish, Danio rerio. However, studies examining the ontogeny of the cortisol endocrine axis in acipenseriformes (sturgeon and paddlefish) have demonstrated similar general patterns during early development. Beginning with maternal deposition of cortisol in the egg, followed by development of de novo synthesis, a hypo-responsive period, and finally the ability of the fish to appropriately increase whole-body levels of cortisol in response to a stressor. In the present study, we demonstrate a similar pattern of ontogeny in the cortisol response in lake sturgeon over two-year classes. Whole-body levels of cortisol were examined over two cohorts and found to be different in both concentration and timing of endogenous production. The 2016 cohort were found to have relatively high levels of cortisol and developed to first feeding approximately six days faster than the 2017 cohort with lower levels of cortisol. In the 2017 cohort, mRNA expression of steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (StAR) and glucocorticoid receptor 1 (GR1) increased just prior to the increase in cortisol and associated onset of exogenous feeding. Treatment in metyrapone, an inhibitor of 11β-hydroxylase, significantly inhibited cortisol production and resulted in the inability of the fish to appropriately transition to exogenous feeding. Data suggest a potential key role for cortisol in lake sturgeon as they transition between diets during early life history.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madison L Earhart
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada; Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.
| | - Jennifer L Ali
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada; National Microbiology Lab, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
| | - William S Bugg
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada
| | - Ken M Jeffries
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada
| | - W Gary Anderson
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada
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14
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Ibarra-Zatarain Z, Parati K, Cenadelli S, Duncan N. Reproductive success of a marine teleost was correlated with proactive and reactive stress-coping styles. JOURNAL OF FISH BIOLOGY 2019; 94:402-413. [PMID: 30671963 DOI: 10.1111/jfb.13907] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2018] [Accepted: 01/21/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
The present study investigated the relationship between reproductive success and stress-coping styles in gilthead seabream Sparus aurata in captivity. To characterise stress-coping styles, a total of 22 breeders were submitted to three different individual-based tests, one group-based test and post-handling glucocorticoid quantification. To assess spawning participation, a microsatellite analysis was performed on a total of 2698 larvae, which allowed each offspring to be assigned unambiguously to a single parental couple. Overall, S. aurata showed defined proactive and reactive behavioural traits. Proactive breeders exhibited higher levels of activity and risk taking and lower glucocorticoid blood levels than reactive breeders. The stress-coping style traits were consistent over time and context (different tests). Breeders that contributed to a higher number of progeny exhibited proactive behaviours, while those showing low progeny contribution exhibited reactive behaviour. Therefore, breeders with a high proportion of progeny (> 20%) had significantly higher activity and risk taking and lower cortisol than breeders with low progeny contribution (< 20%). In addition, males were more proactive than females and males exhibited significantly higher activity, risk taking and lower cortisol than females. This study is the first to establish in S. aurata breeders: (a) a relationship between stress-coping styles and spawning success; (b) a relationship between stress-coping styles and gender; and (c) the existence of proactive and reactive traits at the adult stage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zohar Ibarra-Zatarain
- Laboratory of Aquaculture, IRTA, Carretera de Poble Nou, Tarragona, Spain
- Laboratory of Aquatic Biotechnology, CONACYT-UAN-Nayarit Centre for Innovation and Technological Transference, Tepic, Mexico
| | - Katia Parati
- Aquaculture Division, Instituto Sperimentale Italiano Lazzaro Spallanzani, La Quercia, Italy
| | - Silvia Cenadelli
- Aquaculture Division, Instituto Sperimentale Italiano Lazzaro Spallanzani, La Quercia, Italy
| | - Neil Duncan
- Laboratory of Aquaculture, IRTA, Carretera de Poble Nou, Tarragona, Spain
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15
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Effects of acclimatisation on behavioural repeatability in two behaviour assays of the guppy Poecilia reticulata. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-018-2582-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
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16
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Raoult V, Trompf L, Williamson JE, Brown C. Stress profile influences learning approach in a marine fish. PeerJ 2017; 5:e3445. [PMID: 28607840 PMCID: PMC5466811 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.3445] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2017] [Accepted: 05/18/2017] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
The spatial learning skills of high and low stress juvenile mulloway (Argyrosomus japonicus) were tested in a dichotomous choice apparatus. Groups of fish were formed based on background blood cortisol levels and required to learn the location of a food reward hidden in one of two compartments. Low stress fish characterised by low background levels of the stress hormone cortisol had higher activity levels and entered both rewarded and unrewarded rooms frequently. Within the first week of exposure, however, their preference for the rewarded room increased, indicative of learning. Fish that had high background levels of cortisol, in contrast, showed low levels of activity but when they chose between the two rooms they chose the rewarded room most often but showed less improvement over time. After 12 days in the apparatus, both low and high stress fish had similar ratios of rewarded vs unrewarded room entrances. Our results suggest that proactive coping styles may increase exposure to novel contexts and thus favour faster learning but at the cost of reduced initial accuracy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vincent Raoult
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Australia
| | - Larissa Trompf
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Australia
| | | | - Culum Brown
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Australia
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17
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Bensky MK, Paitz R, Pereira L, Bell AM. Testing the predictions of coping styles theory in threespined sticklebacks. Behav Processes 2016; 136:1-10. [PMID: 28017848 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2016.12.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2016] [Revised: 11/14/2016] [Accepted: 12/19/2016] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Coping styles theory provides a framework for understanding individual variation in how animals respond to environmental change, and predicts how individual differences in stress responsiveness and behavior might relate to cognitive differences. According to coping styles theory, proactive individuals are bolder, less reactive to stressors, and more routinized than their reactive counterparts. A key tenet of coping styles theory is that variation in coping styles is maintained by tradeoffs with behavioral flexibility: proactive individuals excel in stable environments while more flexible, reactive individuals perform better in variable environments. Here, we assess evidence for coping styles within a natural population of threespined sticklebacks (Gasterosteus aculeatus). We developed a criterion-based learning paradigm to evaluate individual variation in initial and reversal learning. We observed strong individual differences in boldness, cortisol production, and learning performance. Consistent with coping styles, fish that released more cortisol were more timid in response to a predator attack and slower to learn a color discrimination task. However, there was no evidence that reactive individuals performed better when the environment changed (when the rewarded color was reversed). The failure to detect trade-offs between behavioral routinization and flexibility prompts other explanations for the maintenance of differing coping styles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miles K Bensky
- Program in Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation Biology, School of Integrative Biology, University of Illinois, 505 S. Goodwin Ave., Urbana, IL 61801, United States.
| | - Ryan Paitz
- Program in Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation Biology, School of Integrative Biology, University of Illinois, 505 S. Goodwin Ave., Urbana, IL 61801, United States; School of Biological Sciences, Illinois State University, Normal, IL, United States
| | - Laura Pereira
- College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL, United States
| | - Alison M Bell
- Program in Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation Biology, School of Integrative Biology, University of Illinois, 505 S. Goodwin Ave., Urbana, IL 61801, United States; Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL, United States
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18
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Cerqueira M, Rey S, Silva T, Featherstone Z, Crumlish M, MacKenzie S. Thermal preference predicts animal personality in Nile tilapia Oreochromis niloticus. J Anim Ecol 2016; 85:1389-400. [PMID: 27219014 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.12555] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2015] [Accepted: 05/13/2016] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Environmental temperature gradients provide habitat structure in which fish orientate and individual thermal choice may reflect an essential integrated response to the environment. The use of subtle thermal gradients likely impacts upon specific physiological and behavioural processes reflected as a suite of traits described by animal personality. In this study, we examine the relationship between thermal choice, animal personality and the impact of infection upon this interaction. We predicted that thermal choice in Nile tilapia Oreochromis niloticus reflects distinct personality traits and that under a challenge individuals exhibit differential thermal distribution. Nile tilapia were screened following two different protocols: 1) a suite of individual behavioural tests to screen for personality and 2) thermal choice in a custom-built tank with a thermal gradient (TCH tank) ranging from 21 to 33 °C. A first set of fish were screened for behaviour and then thermal preference, and a second set were tested in the opposite fashion: thermal then behaviour. The final thermal distribution of the fish after 48 h was assessed reflecting final thermal preferendum. Additionally, fish were then challenged using a bacterial Streptococcus iniae model infection to assess the behavioural fever response of proactive and reactive fish. Results showed that individuals with preference for higher temperatures were also classified as proactive with behavioural tests and reactive contemporaries chose significantly lower water temperatures. All groups exhibited behavioural fever recovering personality-specific thermal preferences after 5 days. Our results show that thermal preference can be used as a proxy to assess personality traits in Nile tilapia and it is a central factor to understand the adaptive meaning of animal personality within a population. Importantly, response to infection by expressing behavioural fever overrides personality-related thermal choice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Cerqueira
- Centro de Ciências do Mar (CCMAR), Universidade do Algarve, Campus de Gambelas 8005-139, Faro, Portugal
| | - Sonia Rey
- Institute of Aquaculture, School of Natural Sciences, University of Stirling, Pathfoot Building, Stirling, FK9 4LA, UK
| | - Tome Silva
- SPAROS Lda., Área Empresarial de Marim, Lote C, 8700-221, Olhão, Portugal
| | - Zoe Featherstone
- Institute of Aquaculture, School of Natural Sciences, University of Stirling, Pathfoot Building, Stirling, FK9 4LA, UK
| | - Margaret Crumlish
- Institute of Aquaculture, School of Natural Sciences, University of Stirling, Pathfoot Building, Stirling, FK9 4LA, UK
| | - Simon MacKenzie
- Institute of Aquaculture, School of Natural Sciences, University of Stirling, Pathfoot Building, Stirling, FK9 4LA, UK
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19
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Byrnes EE, Brown C. Individual personality differences in Port Jackson sharks Heterodontus portusjacksoni. JOURNAL OF FISH BIOLOGY 2016; 89:1142-1157. [PMID: 27228221 DOI: 10.1111/jfb.12993] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2015] [Accepted: 04/07/2016] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
This study examined interindividual personality differences between Port Jackson sharks Heterodontus portusjacksoni utilizing a standard boldness assay. Additionally, the correlation between differences in individual boldness and stress reactivity was examined, exploring indications of individual coping styles. Heterodontus portusjacksoni demonstrated highly repeatable individual differences in boldness and stress reactivity. Individual boldness scores were highly repeatable across four trials such that individuals that were the fastest to emerge in the first trial were also the fastest to emerge in subsequent trials. Additionally, individuals that were the most reactive to a handling stressor in the first trial were also the most reactive in a second trial. The strong link between boldness and stress response commonly found in teleosts was also evident in this study, providing evidence of proactive-reactive coping styles in H. portusjacksoni. These results demonstrate the presence of individual personality differences in sharks for the first time. Understanding how personality influences variation in elasmobranch behaviour such as prey choice, habitat use and activity levels is critical to better managing these top predators which play important ecological roles in marine ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- E E Byrnes
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, NSW, 2109, Australia
| | - C Brown
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, NSW, 2109, Australia
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20
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Rupia EJ, Binning SA, Roche DG, Lu W. Fight-flight or freeze-hide? Personality and metabolic phenotype mediate physiological defence responses in flatfish. J Anim Ecol 2016; 85:927-37. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.12524] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2015] [Accepted: 03/23/2016] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Emmanuel J. Rupia
- Key Laboratory of Exploration and Utilization of Aquatic Genetic Resources; Ministry of Education; Shanghai 201306 China
- College of Fisheries and Life Science; Shanghai Ocean University; Shanghai 201306 China
| | - Sandra A. Binning
- Institute of Biology; University of Neuchâtel; CH-2000 Neuchâtel Switzerland
| | - Dominique G. Roche
- Institute of Biology; University of Neuchâtel; CH-2000 Neuchâtel Switzerland
| | - Weiqun Lu
- Key Laboratory of Exploration and Utilization of Aquatic Genetic Resources; Ministry of Education; Shanghai 201306 China
- College of Fisheries and Life Science; Shanghai Ocean University; Shanghai 201306 China
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21
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Forsatkar MN, Nematollahi MA, Brown C. The toxicological effect of Ruta graveolens extract in Siamese fighting fish: a behavioral and histopathological approach. ECOTOXICOLOGY (LONDON, ENGLAND) 2016; 25:824-834. [PMID: 26924199 DOI: 10.1007/s10646-016-1639-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/22/2016] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
The effects of pharmacological waste on aquatic ecosystems are increasingly highlighted in ecotoxicology research. Many of these products are designed for human physiology but owing to the conservative nature of vertebrate evolution they also tend to have effects on aquatic organisms and fishes in particular when they find their way into aquatic systems via wastewater effluent. One area of research has focused on reproductive control and the associated hormone treatments. Many of these hormones affect the reproductive physiology of fishes and may cause feminization of male reproductive traits. Alternative medicines have also been widely used particularly in traditional cultures but few of these alternative treatments have been assessed with respect to their potential impact on aquatic ecosystems. Rue (Ruta graveolens) has been used as a male contraceptive in traditional medicines but its effects on fish behavior and reproductive anatomy have yet to be established. Here we show that treating Siamese fighting fish, Betta splendens, with extract of rue has a significant effect on key aggressive/reproductive behaviors and the propensity to explore novel objects (boldness). In all cases the respective behaviors were reduced relative to controls and sham injected fish. Histological analysis of the testes revealed that rue exposure reduced the number of spermatozoa but increased the number of spermatocytes relative to controls.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Navid Forsatkar
- Department of Fisheries, Faculty of Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Chamran St., PO Box: 31585-4314, Karaj, Iran
| | - Mohammad Ali Nematollahi
- Department of Fisheries, Faculty of Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Chamran St., PO Box: 31585-4314, Karaj, Iran.
| | - Culum Brown
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Eastern Road, Sydney, NSW, 2109, Australia
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22
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Byrnes EE, Vila Pouca C, Brown C. Laterality strength is linked to stress reactivity in Port Jackson sharks (Heterodontus portusjacksoni). Behav Brain Res 2016; 305:239-46. [PMID: 26946274 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2016.02.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2015] [Revised: 02/20/2016] [Accepted: 02/26/2016] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Cerebral lateralization is an evolutionarily deep-rooted trait, ubiquitous among the vertebrates and present even in some invertebrates. Despite the advantages of cerebral lateralization in enhancing cognition and facilitating greater social cohesion, large within population laterality variation exists in many animal species. It is proposed that this variation is maintained due links with inter-individual personality trait differences. Here we explored for lateralization in Port Jackson sharks (Heterodontus portusjacksoni) using T-maze turn and rotational swimming tasks. Additionally, we explored for a link between personality traits, boldness and stress reactivity, and cerebral lateralization. Sharks demonstrated large individual and sex biased laterality variation, with females demonstrating greater lateralization than males overall. Stress reactivity, but not boldness, was found to significantly correlate with lateralization strength. Stronger lateralized individuals were more reactive to stress. Demonstrating laterality in elasmobranchs for the first time indicates ancient evolutionary roots of vertebrate lateralization approximately 240 million years old. Greater lateralization in female elasmobranchs may be related enhancing females' ability to process multiple stimuli during mating, which could increase survivability and facilitate insemination. Despite contrasting evidence in teleost fishes, the results of this study suggest that stress reactivity, and other personality traits, may be linked to variation in lateralization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evan E Byrnes
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde NSW 2109, Australia.
| | - Catarina Vila Pouca
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde NSW 2109, Australia
| | - Culum Brown
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde NSW 2109, Australia
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23
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Amin B, Slabbekoorn H, Schaaf M, Tudorache C. “Early birds” take it easy: diurnal timing is correlated with overall level in activity of zebrafish larvae. BEHAVIOUR 2016. [DOI: 10.1163/1568539x-00003376] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Individual animals show consistent differences in behavioural responses when coping with environmental challenges. Consistency over time and across context in a behavioural trait is an indication for animal personality. Chronotypes refer to consistent inter-individual differences in diurnal rhythmicity driven by underlying variation in circadian clock processes. Personality traits and chronotype may relate to a single behavioural syndrome, but few studies have investigated such a link explicitly. Here, we explored zebrafish larvae for the presence of consistency in activity levels and timing, and their correlation with and without external cues (Zeitgeber: light–dark cycle versus constant light). We found individual consistency in activity level and timing, and their correlation independent of the presence of Zeitgeber: early-active individuals were less active overall than late-active individuals. Our study suggests a link between personality and chronotype and provides new insights into the early development of individual variation in behavioural tendencies of zebrafish.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bawan Amin
- Institute Biology Leiden, Sylvius Laboratory, Leiden University, Sylviusweg 72, 2333 BE Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Hans Slabbekoorn
- Institute Biology Leiden, Sylvius Laboratory, Leiden University, Sylviusweg 72, 2333 BE Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Marcel Schaaf
- Institute Biology Leiden, Sylvius Laboratory, Leiden University, Sylviusweg 72, 2333 BE Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Christian Tudorache
- Institute Biology Leiden, Sylvius Laboratory, Leiden University, Sylviusweg 72, 2333 BE Leiden, The Netherlands
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24
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Byrnes EE, Pouca CV, Chambers SL, Brown C. Into the wild: developing field tests to examine the link between elasmobranch personality and laterality. BEHAVIOUR 2016. [DOI: 10.1163/1568539x-00003373] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
The field of animal personality has received considerable attention in past decades, yet few studies have examined personality in the wild. This study investigated docility, a measure of boldness, in two Port Jackson shark (Heterodontus portusjacksoni) populations using field tests, and if laterality differences explained docility levels. We developed a struggle test as an assay for docility, which is particularly amenable to field studies. The struggle test was effective, and repeatable inter-individual docility differences were observed. Sex, but not population, influenced docility scores, with male sharks being less docile than females. This difference is likely due to the contrasting role each sex plays during mating. We also found individualized lateralization. However, no individual-level relationship between lateralization and docility was detected. Despite reported links between laterality and some personality traits, the relationship between laterality and boldness remains inconclusive in sharks. Further studies will prove essential to clarify the mechanisms behind personality traits in vertebrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evan E. Byrnes
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, NSW 2109, Australia
| | - Catarina Vila Pouca
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, NSW 2109, Australia
| | - Sherrie L. Chambers
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, NSW 2109, Australia
| | - Culum Brown
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, NSW 2109, Australia
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25
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Sex, boldness and stress experience affect convict cichlid, Amatitlania nigrofasciata, open field behaviour. Anim Behav 2015. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2015.05.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
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26
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Capuchin monkeys with similar personalities have higher-quality relationships independent of age, sex, kinship and rank. Anim Behav 2015. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2015.04.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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Boulton K, Couto E, Grimmer AJ, Earley RL, Canario AVM, Wilson AJ, Walling CA. How integrated are behavioral and endocrine stress response traits? A repeated measures approach to testing the stress-coping style model. Ecol Evol 2015; 5:618-33. [PMID: 25691986 PMCID: PMC4328767 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.1395] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2014] [Accepted: 12/15/2014] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
It is widely expected that physiological and behavioral stress responses will be integrated within divergent stress-coping styles (SCS) and that these may represent opposite ends of a continuously varying reactive–proactive axis. If such a model is valid, then stress response traits should be repeatable and physiological and behavioral responses should also change in an integrated manner along a major axis of among-individual variation. While there is some evidence of association between endocrine and behavioral stress response traits, few studies incorporate repeated observations of both. To test this model, we use a multivariate, repeated measures approach in a captive-bred population of Xiphophorus birchmanni. We quantify among-individual variation in behavioral stress response to an open field trial (OFT) with simulated predator attack (SPA) and measure waterborne steroid hormone levels (cortisol, 11-ketotestosterone) before and after exposure. Under the mild stress stimulus (OFT), (multivariate) behavioral variation among individuals was consistent with a strong axis of personality (shy–bold) or coping style (reactive–proactive) variation. However, behavioral responses to a moderate stressor (SPA) were less repeatable, and robust statistical support for repeatable endocrine state over the full sampling period was limited to 11-ketotestosterone. Although post hoc analysis suggested cortisol expression was repeatable over short time periods, qualitative relationships between behavior and glucocorticoid levels were counter to our a priori expectations. Thus, while our results clearly show among-individual differences in behavioral and endocrine traits associated with stress response, the correlation structure between these is not consistent with a simple proactive–reactive axis of integrated stress-coping style. Additionally, the low repeatability of cortisol suggests caution is warranted if single observations (or indeed repeat measures over short sampling periods) of glucocorticoid traits are used in ecological or evolutionary studies focussed at the individual level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kay Boulton
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, University of Edinburgh West Mains Road, Edinburgh, EH9 3JT, U.K
| | - Elsa Couto
- CCMar, University of Algarve Campus de Gambelas, 8005-139, Faro, Portugal
| | - Andrew J Grimmer
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter Cornwall Campus, Treliever Road, Penryn, Cornwall, TR10 9EZ, U.K
| | - Ryan L Earley
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alabama 300 Hackberry Lane, Box 870344, SEC Building, Tuscaloosa, Alabama, 35487
| | | | - Alastair J Wilson
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter Cornwall Campus, Treliever Road, Penryn, Cornwall, TR10 9EZ, U.K
| | - Craig A Walling
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, University of Edinburgh West Mains Road, Edinburgh, EH9 3JT, U.K
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Tudorache C, ter Braake A, Tromp M, Slabbekoorn H, Schaaf MJM. Behavioral and physiological indicators of stress coping styles in larval zebrafish. Stress 2015; 18:121-8. [PMID: 25407298 DOI: 10.3109/10253890.2014.989205] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Different individuals cope with stressors in different ways. Stress coping styles are defined as a coherent set of individual behavioral and physiological differences in the response to a stressor which remain consistent across time and context. In the present study, we have investigated coping styles in larval zebrafish (Danio rerio) at 8 days post-fertilization. Larvae were separated into two groups, according to the emergence sequence from a darkened into a novel well-lit environment, early (EE) and late (LE) emergers. We used brief periods of netting as a stressor. Swimming behavior and kinematics before and after netting stress were analyzed, as were whole-body cortisol levels before and at 10, 30 and 60 min after the stress event. The results show that general swimming activity was different between EE and LE larvae, with lower baseline cumulative distance and more erratic swimming movements in EE than in LE larvae. EE larvae showed a faster recovery to baseline levels after stress than LE larvae. Cortisol baseline levels were not different between EE and LE larvae, but peak levels after stress were higher and the recovery towards basal levels was faster in EE than in LE larvae. This study shows that coping styles are manifest in zebrafish larvae, and that behavior and swimming kinematics are associated with different cortisol responses to stress. A better understanding of the expression of coping styles may be of great value for medical applications, animal welfare issues and conservation.
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Herrera M, Castanheira MF, Conceição LE, Martins CI. Linking risk taking and the behavioral and metabolic responses to confinement stress in gilthead seabream Sparus aurata. Appl Anim Behav Sci 2014. [DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2014.03.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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Laterality is linked to personality in the black-lined rainbowfish, Melanotaenia nigrans. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2014. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-014-1712-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
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Trompf L, Brown C. Personality affects learning and trade-offs between private and social information in guppies, Poecilia reticulata. Anim Behav 2014. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2013.11.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
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Tudorache C, Schaaf MJM, Slabbekoorn H. Covariation between behaviour and physiology indicators of coping style in zebrafish (Danio rerio). J Endocrinol 2013; 219:251-8. [PMID: 24198397 DOI: 10.1530/joe-13-0225] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
All vertebrates exhibit physiological responses to a wide variety of stressors. The amplitude and profile of the response depend on the intensity, duration, controllability and predictability of the stressor, but there is also individual variation in the response, termed coping style. A better understanding of the expression of coping styles is of great value for medical applications, animal welfare issues and conservation. Here, we investigated the effect of repeated netting stress on proactive and reactive zebrafish (Danio rerio) as an upcoming model system for stress research. Fish were separated by coping styles according to the order of entering a novel environment. Subsequently, repeated netting stress was applied as stressor, over a period of 21 days. Full-body cortisol levels were determined at 0, 15, 30, 60 and 120 min after the last repeated stress event. Our results show that reactive fish display i) increased basal cortisol concentrations after being repeatedly stressed, ii) higher cortisol secretion over time and iii) slow recovery of cortisol concentration towards basal levels after the last repeated stress event. This study shows for the first time in zebrafish that different coping styles are associated with different cortisol responses during the recovery from stress over time and that coping styles can explain otherwise unaccounted variation in physiological stress responses.
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MESH Headings
- Allostasis
- Animals
- Behavior, Animal
- Brain/growth & development
- Brain/metabolism
- Disease Models, Animal
- Disease Susceptibility
- Female
- Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental
- Hydrocortisone/metabolism
- Male
- Nerve Tissue Proteins/biosynthesis
- Nerve Tissue Proteins/genetics
- Nerve Tissue Proteins/metabolism
- Neurons/metabolism
- RNA, Messenger/metabolism
- Receptors, Glucocorticoid/biosynthesis
- Receptors, Glucocorticoid/genetics
- Receptors, Glucocorticoid/metabolism
- Receptors, Mineralocorticoid/biosynthesis
- Receptors, Mineralocorticoid/genetics
- Receptors, Mineralocorticoid/metabolism
- Stress, Physiological
- Stress, Psychological/metabolism
- Zebrafish/growth & development
- Zebrafish/physiology
- Zebrafish Proteins/biosynthesis
- Zebrafish Proteins/genetics
- Zebrafish Proteins/metabolism
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian Tudorache
- Departments of Molecular Cell Biology Behavioral Biology, Institute of Biology, Leiden University, Sylviusweg 72, 2333 BE Leiden, The Netherlands
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