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Respicio JMV, Dela Cruz KC, Hughes AC, Tanalgo KC. The behavioural costs of overcrowding for gregarious cave-dwelling bats. J Anim Ecol 2024; 93:619-631. [PMID: 38556757 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.14072] [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: 11/01/2023] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 04/02/2024]
Abstract
Bats are known for their gregarious social behaviour, often congregating in caves and underground habitats, where they play a pivotal role in providing various ecosystem services. Studying bat behaviour remains an underexplored aspect of bat ecology and conservation despite its ecological importance. We explored the costs and impacts of overcrowding on bat social behaviour. This study examined variations in bat behavioural patterns between two distinct groups, aggregated and non-aggregated male Rousettus amplexicaudatus, within the Monfort Bat Cave Sanctuary on Mindanao Island, Philippines. We found significant variations in the incident frequencies of various bat behavioural activities, particularly aggression and movement, between these two groups. The increase in aggregation was closely related to negative social behaviour among bats. In contrast, sexual behaviour was significantly related to the positive behaviour of individual bats and was headed in less crowded areas. The disparities in bat behaviour with an apparent decline in bat social behaviour because of overcrowding, with more aggressive behaviours emerging, align with the 'behavioural sink' hypothesis. Our study underscores the importance of considering habitat quality and resource availability in the management and conservation of bat colonies, as these factors can reduce the occurrence of aggressive and negative social behaviours in colonies with high population density by providing alternative habitats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeaneth Magelen V Respicio
- Ecology and Conservation Research Laboratory (Eco/Con Lab), Department of Biological Sciences, College of Science and Mathematics, University of Southern Mindanao, Kabacan, Philippines
| | - Kier C Dela Cruz
- Ecology and Conservation Research Laboratory (Eco/Con Lab), Department of Biological Sciences, College of Science and Mathematics, University of Southern Mindanao, Kabacan, Philippines
| | - Alice C Hughes
- School of Life Sciences, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Krizler C Tanalgo
- Ecology and Conservation Research Laboratory (Eco/Con Lab), Department of Biological Sciences, College of Science and Mathematics, University of Southern Mindanao, Kabacan, Philippines
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2
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Branco P, Mascarenhas AM, Duarte G, Romão F, Quaresma A, Amaral SD, Ferreira MT, Pinheiro AN, Santos JM. Vertical Slot Fishways: Incremental Knowledge to Define the Best Solution. BIOLOGY 2023; 12:1431. [PMID: 37998030 PMCID: PMC10669019 DOI: 10.3390/biology12111431] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2023] [Revised: 11/03/2023] [Accepted: 11/10/2023] [Indexed: 11/25/2023]
Abstract
River artificial fragmentation is arguably the most imperilling threat for freshwater-dependent fish species. Fish need to be able to freely move along river networks as not only spawning grounds but also refuge and feeding areas may be spatially and temporally separated. This incapacity of free displacement may result in genetic depletion of some populations, density reduction and even community changes, which may in turn affect how meta-community balances are regulated, potentially resulting in functional resilience reduction and ecosystem processes' malfunction. Fishways are the most common and widely used method to improve connectivity for fish species. These structures allow fish to negotiate full barriers, thus reducing their connectivity impairment. Among all technical fishway types, vertical slot fishways (VSF) are considered to be the best solution, as they remain operational even with fluctuating water discharges and allow fish to negotiate each cross-wall at their desired depth. In the present study, we collected both published and original data on fish experiments within VSF, to address two questions, (1) What variables affect fish passage during experimental fishway studies? and (2) What is the best VSF configuration? We used Bayesian Generalized Mixed Models accounting for random effects of non-controlled factors, limiting inherent data dependencies, that may influence the model outcome. Results highlight that fish size, regardless of the species, is a good predictor of fishway negotiation success. Generally, multiple slot fishways with one orifice proved to be the best solution. Future work should be focused on small-sized fish to further improve the design of holistic fishways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paulo Branco
- Forest Research Centre, Associate Laboratory TERRA, School of Agriculture, University of Lisbon, 1349-017 Lisbon, Portugal; (A.M.M.); (G.D.); (S.D.A.); (M.T.F.); (J.M.S.)
| | - Ana Margarida Mascarenhas
- Forest Research Centre, Associate Laboratory TERRA, School of Agriculture, University of Lisbon, 1349-017 Lisbon, Portugal; (A.M.M.); (G.D.); (S.D.A.); (M.T.F.); (J.M.S.)
| | - Gonçalo Duarte
- Forest Research Centre, Associate Laboratory TERRA, School of Agriculture, University of Lisbon, 1349-017 Lisbon, Portugal; (A.M.M.); (G.D.); (S.D.A.); (M.T.F.); (J.M.S.)
| | - Filipe Romão
- Civil Engineering for Research and Innovation for Sustainability, Instituto Superior Técnico, University of Lisbon, 1049-001 Lisbon, Portugal; (F.R.); (A.Q.); (A.N.P.)
| | - Ana Quaresma
- Civil Engineering for Research and Innovation for Sustainability, Instituto Superior Técnico, University of Lisbon, 1049-001 Lisbon, Portugal; (F.R.); (A.Q.); (A.N.P.)
| | - Susana Dias Amaral
- Forest Research Centre, Associate Laboratory TERRA, School of Agriculture, University of Lisbon, 1349-017 Lisbon, Portugal; (A.M.M.); (G.D.); (S.D.A.); (M.T.F.); (J.M.S.)
| | - Maria Teresa Ferreira
- Forest Research Centre, Associate Laboratory TERRA, School of Agriculture, University of Lisbon, 1349-017 Lisbon, Portugal; (A.M.M.); (G.D.); (S.D.A.); (M.T.F.); (J.M.S.)
| | - António N. Pinheiro
- Civil Engineering for Research and Innovation for Sustainability, Instituto Superior Técnico, University of Lisbon, 1049-001 Lisbon, Portugal; (F.R.); (A.Q.); (A.N.P.)
| | - José Maria Santos
- Forest Research Centre, Associate Laboratory TERRA, School of Agriculture, University of Lisbon, 1349-017 Lisbon, Portugal; (A.M.M.); (G.D.); (S.D.A.); (M.T.F.); (J.M.S.)
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3
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I love to hate my neighbour: how recognition of dear enemies affects male antipredator behaviours in a lizard species. Anim Behav 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2022.11.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
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4
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5
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Camerlink I, Farish M, Arnott G, Turner SP. Sexual dimorphism in ritualized agonistic behaviour, fighting ability and contest costs of Sus scrofa. Front Zool 2022; 19:13. [PMID: 35279172 PMCID: PMC8917762 DOI: 10.1186/s12983-022-00458-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2021] [Accepted: 03/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Sexual selection has driven sexual dimorphism in agonistic behaviour in many species. Agonistic behaviour is fundamentally altered by domestication and captivity, but it is unclear whether ancestral sex differences remain. We aimed to evaluate the effect of sex on agonistic behaviour, fighting ability and contest costs. We studied this in domestic pigs (Sus scrofa) where aggression compromises welfare, and sexual dimorphism in aggression has been inconclusively demonstrated. Behaviour and physiology of 827 male and female juvenile pigs were studied during resident-intruder tests and dyadic contests at various ages, while accounting for the relative body weight difference between the opponents. Results Males won in 79% of contests against females, even when at a large weight disadvantage. The effect of sex increased with age, with males having a 138 times higher likelihood of winning than females when 13 weeks old. In dyadic contests, males invested more time in non-damaging agonistic display behaviour and took longer before escalating into damaging aggression. Males showed ritualized display that included foaming from the mouth and piloerection of the neck hair, which was nearly always absent in females. Contest costs in terms of contest duration, blood lactate and skin lesions where higher for males, especially when fighting another male. Conclusions Profound sex differences were present for agonistic behaviour, fighting ability and contest costs, and became more pronounced as animals got older. Males invested more in ritualized display before escalating into costly fights, whereas females attacked sooner but also terminated contests more rapidly and with fewer costs. The sexual dimorphism in agonistic behaviour in juvenile domestic pigs is in line with the evolutionary relevance for females’ maternal defence and males’ competition for females.
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Dehnen T, Arbon JJ, Farine DR, Boogert NJ. How feedback and feed-forward mechanisms link determinants of social dominance. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2022; 97:1210-1230. [PMID: 35150197 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12838] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2021] [Revised: 01/27/2022] [Accepted: 01/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
In many animal societies, individuals differ consistently in their ability to win agonistic interactions, resulting in dominance hierarchies. These differences arise due to a range of factors that can influence individuals' abilities to win agonistic interactions, spanning from genetically driven traits through to individuals' recent interaction history. Yet, despite a century of study since Schjelderup-Ebbe's seminal paper on social dominance, we still lack a general understanding of how these different factors work together to determine individuals' positions in hierarchies. Here, we first outline five widely studied factors that can influence interaction outcomes: intrinsic attributes, resource value asymmetry, winner-loser effects, dyadic interaction-outcome history and third-party support. A review of the evidence shows that a variety of factors are likely important to interaction outcomes, and thereby individuals' positions in dominance hierarchies, in diverse species. We propose that such factors are unlikely to determine dominance outcomes independently, but rather form part of feedback loops whereby the outcomes of previous agonistic interactions (e.g. access to food) impact factors that might be important in subsequent interactions (e.g. body condition). We provide a conceptual framework that illustrates the multitude potential routes through which such feedbacks can occur, and how the factors that determine the outcomes of dominance interactions are highly intertwined and thus rarely act independently of one another. Further, we generalise our framework to include multi-generational feed-forward mechanisms: how interaction outcomes in one generation can influence the factors determining interaction outcomes in the next generation via a range of parental effects. This general framework describes how interaction outcomes and the factors determining them are linked within generations via feedback loops, and between generations via feed-forward mechanisms. We then highlight methodological approaches that will facilitate the study of feedback loops and dominance dynamics. Lastly, we discuss how our framework could shape future research, including: how feedbacks generate variation in the factors discussed, and how this might be studied experimentally; how the relative importance of different feedback mechanisms varies across timescales; the role of social structure in modulating the effect of feedbacks on hierarchy structure and stability; and the routes of parental influence on the dominance status of offspring. Ultimately, by considering dominance interactions as part of a dynamic feedback system that also feeds forward into subsequent generations, we will understand better the factors that structure dominance hierarchies in animal groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tobit Dehnen
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Treliever Road, Penryn, TR10 9FE, U.K.,Department of Collective Behavior, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Universitätsstraße 10, Konstanz, 78464, Germany.,Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, Zürich, 8057, Switzerland
| | - Josh J Arbon
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Treliever Road, Penryn, TR10 9FE, U.K
| | - Damien R Farine
- Department of Collective Behavior, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Universitätsstraße 10, Konstanz, 78464, Germany.,Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, Zürich, 8057, Switzerland.,Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, University of Konstanz, Universitätsstraße 10, Konstanz, 78464, Germany
| | - Neeltje J Boogert
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Treliever Road, Penryn, TR10 9FE, U.K
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Paul SC, Müller C. Fighting over defense chemicals disrupts mating behavior. Behav Ecol 2021; 33:329-335. [PMID: 35444493 PMCID: PMC9015217 DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arab117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2021] [Revised: 09/02/2021] [Accepted: 10/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Studies on intraspecific contest behavior predominantly focus on contests between individuals of the same sex, however contest behavior is also expected to occur between individuals of the opposite sex including possible mates. Here we investigate potential trade-offs between mating and fighting behavior in the turnip sawfly (Athalia rosae). Adults of this species collect chemical defense compounds (clerodanoids) directly from plants but also indirectly by nibbling on conspecifics that have already obtained clerodanoids, a highly aggressive behavioral interaction. An A. rosae individual without clerodanoids may therefore be the potential mate or attacker of an individual of the opposite sex that has gained clerodanoids. To test the effect of clerodanoids on agonistic and mating behavior we paired females and males with or without clerodanoid access in a two-way factorial design. We show that asymmetrical clerodanoid acquisition between female-male pairs causes an increase in agonistic nibbling behavior, irrespective of sex, and moreover that conflict between individuals delays mating behavior. Our study highlights the importance of investigating agonistic intersex interactions, which can occur when adults are able to acquire valuable non-reproductive resources from a potential partner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Catherine Paul
- Chemical Ecology, Bielefeld University, Universitätsstr. 25, 33615 Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Caroline Müller
- Chemical Ecology, Bielefeld University, Universitätsstr. 25, 33615 Bielefeld, Germany
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8
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Martorell-Barceló M, Mulet J, Sanllehi J, Signaroli M, Lana A, Barcelo-Serra M, Aspillaga E, Alós J. Aggressiveness-related behavioural types in the pearly razorfish. PeerJ 2021; 9:e10731. [PMID: 33850638 PMCID: PMC8018250 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.10731] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2020] [Accepted: 12/17/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Behavioural types (i.e., personalities or temperament) are defined as among individual differences in behavioural traits that are consistent over time and ecological contexts. Behavioural types are widespread in nature and play a relevant role in many ecological and evolutionary processes. In this work, we studied for the first time the consistency of individual aggressiveness in the pearly razorfish, Xyrichtys novacula, using a mirror test: a classic method to define aggressive behavioural types. The experiments were carried out in semi-natural behavioural arenas and monitored through a novel Raspberry Pi-based recording system. The experimental set up allowed us to obtain repeated measures of individual aggressivity scores during four consecutive days. The decomposition of the phenotypic variance revealed a significant repeatability score (R) of 0.57 [0.44-0.60], suggesting high predictability of individual behavioural variation and the existence of different behavioural types. Aggressive behavioural types emerged irrespective of body size, sex and the internal condition of the individual. Razorfishes are a ubiquitous group of fish species that occupy sedimentary habitats in most shallow waters of temperate and tropical seas. These species are known for forming strong social structures and playing a relevant role in ecosystem functioning. Therefore, our work provides novel insight into an individual behavioural component that may play a role in poorly known ecological and evolutionary processes occurring in this species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martina Martorell-Barceló
- Fish Ecology Group, Instituto Mediterráneo de Estudios Avanzados, IMEDEA (CSIC-UIB), Esporles, Spain
| | - Júlia Mulet
- Fish Ecology Group, Instituto Mediterráneo de Estudios Avanzados, IMEDEA (CSIC-UIB), Esporles, Spain.,Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Javier Sanllehi
- Fish Ecology Group, Instituto Mediterráneo de Estudios Avanzados, IMEDEA (CSIC-UIB), Esporles, Spain
| | - Marco Signaroli
- Fish Ecology Group, Instituto Mediterráneo de Estudios Avanzados, IMEDEA (CSIC-UIB), Esporles, Spain
| | - Arancha Lana
- Fish Ecology Group, Instituto Mediterráneo de Estudios Avanzados, IMEDEA (CSIC-UIB), Esporles, Spain
| | - Margarida Barcelo-Serra
- Fish Ecology Group, Instituto Mediterráneo de Estudios Avanzados, IMEDEA (CSIC-UIB), Esporles, Spain
| | - Eneko Aspillaga
- Fish Ecology Group, Instituto Mediterráneo de Estudios Avanzados, IMEDEA (CSIC-UIB), Esporles, Spain
| | - Josep Alós
- Fish Ecology Group, Instituto Mediterráneo de Estudios Avanzados, IMEDEA (CSIC-UIB), Esporles, Spain
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9
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Green P, Harrison J. Quadratic resource value assessment during mantis shrimp (Stomatopoda) contests. Anim Behav 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2020.09.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
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10
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James N, Furukawa M. Nest construction and presence do not alter territorial aggression in male threespine stickleback. Anim Behav 2020; 166:9-17. [PMID: 32655149 PMCID: PMC7351080 DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2020.05.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Constructing a nest within a mating territory provides a clear benefit to the resident, particularly by improving the opportunity to mate. It is unclear whether animals who use nests exclusively for reproductive purposes account for either the effort invested or the resulting increase in mating potential when valuing their territories. We sought to explicitly reveal a nest’s added subjective resource value through within-group comparison of aggressive behaviour before and after nest construction. An increase in aggression following construction would indicate that the resident perceives greater subjective value in his territory, and thus values the nest. Threespine stickleback, Gasterosteus aculeatus, fish demonstrate stereotypical aggressive behaviours during an easily induced territorial defence. The male’s nest is used exclusively for reproductive purposes, avoiding any confound of shelter. Contrary to our hypothesis, neither nest presence, timing of construction, nor nesting outcome was associated with differences in behavioural measures of territorial aggression. Assessed behaviours were robust, repeatable and inter-correlated. We conclude that territorial aggression is neither predictive of nor altered by nesting in threespine stickleback fish. Our results suggest that nests used transiently for a portion of the mating season add negligible subjective resource value to a territory. We additionally demonstrate that examinations of territorial aggression in sticklebacks do not need to control for nest building, improving statistical power by decreasing dropout rates. These results dovetail with recent work in other fish species to suggest that assessment of territorial aggression absent a nest may be practicable for fish in general.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noelle James
- Neuroscience Program, University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, Urbana, IL, U.S.A
- Department of Evolution, Ecology and Behavior, University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, Urbana, IL, U.S.A
- Correspondence: N. James, Department of Evolution, Ecology and Behavior, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 439 Morrill Hall, 505 South Goodwin Ave., Urbana, IL, 61801, U.S.A.. (N. James)
| | - Megan Furukawa
- The School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, Urbana, IL, U.S.A
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11
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Zhang S, Ai H, Li D. Mating changes a male contestant from a loser to a winner in male–male competition in a wolf spider. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2019. [DOI: 10.1093/biolinnean/blz091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Mating may change a male’s behaviour by increasing its motivation to engage in a contest, and enabling it to win in subsequent male–male contests. To test this hypothesis, we recorded male contests in the wolf spider, Venonia coruscans (Araneae: Lycosidae), testing a male’s motivation to fight under three different resource value conditions. First, we staged contests between two males in two different resource value conditions, on an egg-produced female’s web and then on a virgin female’s web, to test a male’s fighting ability. After determining each male’s fighting ability, we allowed each loser that lost its contests under both resource value conditions to mate with a virgin female and then introduced the previous contest winner to the web where the loser had mated. We found that without mating, the losers always lost their contests, regardless of the resource value conditions. However, once they had mated, the losers fiercely attacked the previous winners, and most won the contests back. Our study therefore provides evidence that a male’s motivation to fight can be changed under certain circumstances (e.g. mating) and can greatly influence contest outcomes in male–male competition in a mating context.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shichang Zhang
- Centre for Behavioral Ecology and Evolution (CBEE), State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Hui Ai
- College of Life Science, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Daiqin Li
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
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12
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Meuthen D, Bakker TC, Thünken T. Predatory developmental environments shape loser behaviour in animal contests. BEHAVIOUR 2019. [DOI: 10.1163/1568539x-00003577] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
High predation risk during development induces phenotypic changes in animals. However, little is known about how these plastic responses affect signalling and competitiveness during contests. Herein, we have studied the consequences of anti-predator plasticity during the intra-sexual competition of Pelvicachromis taeniatus, a cichlid fish with mutual mate choice. We staged contests between adult size-matched siblings of the same sex derived from different environments: one fish was regularly exposed to conspecific alarm cues since the larval stage (simulating predator presence), the other fish to control conditions. Rearing environment did not affect the winner of contests or total aggression within a fight. However, contest behaviour differed between treatments. The effects were especially pronounced in alarm cue-exposed fish that lost a contest: they generally displayed lower aggression than winners but also lower aggression than losers of the control treatment. Thus, perceived predator presence modulates intra-sexual competition behaviour by increasing the costs associated with fighting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Denis Meuthen
- aInstitute for Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, University of Bonn, An der Immenburg 1, 53121 Bonn, Germany
- bDepartment of Biology, University of Saskatchewan, 112 Science Place, Saskatoon, SK, Canada S7N 5E2
| | - Theo C.M. Bakker
- aInstitute for Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, University of Bonn, An der Immenburg 1, 53121 Bonn, Germany
| | - Timo Thünken
- aInstitute for Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, University of Bonn, An der Immenburg 1, 53121 Bonn, Germany
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13
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Archundia M, Arce E. Fighting behaviour in native fish: the Mexican mojarra (Cichlasoma istlanum) wins when confronted with the non-native convict cichlid fish (Amatitlania nigrofasciata). J ETHOL 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s10164-018-0569-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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14
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Hellmann JK, Hamilton IM. Intragroup social dynamics vary with the presence of neighbors in a cooperatively breeding fish. Curr Zool 2018; 65:21-31. [PMID: 30697235 PMCID: PMC6347054 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zoy025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2018] [Accepted: 03/22/2018] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Conflict is an inherent part of social life in group-living species. Group members may mediate conflict through submissive and affiliative behaviors, which can reduce aggression, stabilize dominance hierarchies, and foster group cohesion. The frequency and resolution of within-group conflict may vary with the presence of neighboring groups. Neighbors can threaten the territory or resources of the whole group, promoting behaviors that foster within-group cohesion. However, neighbors may also foster conflict of interests among group members: opportunities for subordinate dispersal may alter conflict among dominants and subordinates while opportunities for extra-pair reproduction may increase conflict between mates. To understand how neighbors mediate within-group conflict in the cooperatively breeding fish Neolamprologus pulcher, we measured behavioral dynamics and social network structure in isolated groups, groups recently exposed to neighbors, and groups with established neighbors. Aggression and submission between the dominant male and female pair were high in isolated groups, but dominant aggression was directly primarily at subordinates when groups had neighbors. This suggests that neighbors attenuate conflict between mates and foster conflict between dominants and subordinates. Further, aggression and submission between similarly sized group members were most frequent when groups had neighbors, suggesting that neighbors induce rank-related conflict. We found relatively little change in within-group affiliative networks across treatments, suggesting that the presence of neighbors does not alter behaviors associated with promoting group cohesion. Collectively, these results provide some of the first empirical insights into the extent to which intragroup behavioral networks are mediated by intergroup interactions and the broader social context.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer K Hellmann
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Ian M Hamilton
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA.,Department of Mathematics, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
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Ota K. Fight, fatigue, and flight: narrowing of attention to a threat compensates for decreased anti-predator vigilance. J Exp Biol 2018; 221:jeb.168047. [DOI: 10.1242/jeb.168047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2017] [Accepted: 02/21/2018] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Fighting carries predation risk because animals have limited attention, constraining their ability to simultaneously engage in aggression and anti-predator vigilance. However, the influence of interspecific aggression and fatigue on the predation cost of fighting is seldom examined, although both are unignorable aspects of fighting. Here, I incorporated both factors in a series of field experiments on the cichlid Lamprologus ocellatus. If territorial males respond more strongly to conspecific territorial intruders than heterospecific intruders, then they should delay escape more frequently during intraspecific fighting than interspecific fighting. Consequently, although I predict that vigilance would be decreased as fighting progresses in both fighting, intraspecific aggression should decrease vigilance more than interspecific aggression. Males were also exposed to a predator approaching at different (slow or fast) speeds during these fighting bouts. Delays in predator detection and flight initiation were quantified and these predictions were tested. As predicted, males were responded more strongly to intraspecific intruders, resulting in slower predator detection and fleeing times than when encountering interspecific intruders. Furthermore, flight latency decreased with increasing fight duration, suggesting that fatigue negatively influenced escape responses. However, contrary to prediction, the vigilance decrement rate was faster in response to slow predators than to rapid predators, and was not influenced by intruder identity. This suggests that fighting males reserve their attention for information critical to their survival and are less vigilant toward a less-threatening (slow approaching) predator. This cognitive allocation may be an adaptive compensation for fatigue-related low vigilance during fighting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kazutaka Ota
- Department of Biology and Geosciences, Osaka City University, Sumiyoshi, Osaka 558-8585, Japan
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16
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Balshine S, Wong MY, Reddon AR. Social motivation and conflict resolution tactics as potential building blocks of sociality in cichlid fishes. Behav Processes 2017; 141:152-160. [DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2017.01.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2016] [Revised: 12/21/2016] [Accepted: 01/02/2017] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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17
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dos Santos TB, Peixoto PEC. Agonistic interactions in the dragonfly Micrathyria ungulata: does male fighting investment come from an innate ability or an indomitable will? Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-017-2335-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
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Jindal S, Bose APH, O'Connor CM, Balshine S. A test of male infanticide as a reproductive tactic in a cichlid fish. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2017; 4:160891. [PMID: 28405376 PMCID: PMC5383833 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.160891] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2016] [Accepted: 02/07/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Infanticide and offspring cannibalism are taxonomically widespread phenomena. In some group-living species, a new dominant individual taking over a group can benefit from infanticide if doing so induces potential mates to become reproductively available sooner. Despite widespread observations of infanticide (i.e. egg cannibalism) among fishes, no study has investigated whether egg cannibalism occurs in fishes as a result of group takeovers, or how this type of cannibalism might be adaptive. Using the cooperatively breeding cichlid, Neolamprologus pulcher, we tested whether new unrelated males entering the dominant position in a social group were more likely to cannibalize eggs, and whether such cannibalism would shorten the interval until the female's next spawning. Females spawned again sooner if their broods were removed than if they were cared for. Egg cannibalism occurred frequently after a group takeover event, and was rarer if the original male remained with the group. While dominant breeder females were initially highly aggressive towards newcomer males that took over the group, the degree of resistance depended on relative body size differences between the new pair and, ultimately, female aggression did not prevent egg cannibalism. Egg cannibalism, however, did not shorten the duration until subsequent spawning, or increase fecundity during subsequent breeding in our laboratory setting. Our results show that infanticide as mediated through group takeovers is a taxonomically widespread behaviour.
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Balzarini V, Taborsky M, Villa F, Frommen JG. Computer animations of color markings reveal the function of visual threat signals in Neolamprologus pulcher. Curr Zool 2017; 63:45-54. [PMID: 29491962 PMCID: PMC5804153 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zow086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2016] [Accepted: 07/19/2016] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Visual signals, including changes in coloration and color patterns, are frequently used by animals to convey information. During contests, body coloration and its changes can be used to assess an opponent's state or motivation. Communication of aggressive propensity is particularly important in group-living animals with a stable dominance hierarchy, as the outcome of aggressive interactions determines the social rank of group members. Neolamprologus pulcher is a cooperatively breeding cichlid showing frequent within-group aggression. Both sexes exhibit two vertical black stripes on the operculum that vary naturally in shape and darkness. During frontal threat displays these patterns are actively exposed to the opponent, suggesting a signaling function. To investigate the role of operculum stripes during contests we manipulated their darkness in computer animated pictures of the fish. We recorded the responses in behavior and stripe darkness of test subjects to which these animated pictures were presented. Individuals with initially darker stripes were more aggressive against the animations and showed more operculum threat displays. Operculum stripes of test subjects became darker after exposure to an animation exhibiting a pale operculum than after exposure to a dark operculum animation, highlighting the role of the darkness of this color pattern in opponent assessment. We conclude that (i) the black stripes on the operculum of N. pulcher are a reliable signal of aggression and dominance, (ii) these markings play an important role in opponent assessment, and (iii) 2D computer animations are well suited to elicit biologically meaningful short-term aggressive responses in this widely used model system of social evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Balzarini
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Behavioral Ecology Division, University of Bern, Wohlenstrasse 50a, 3032 Hinterkappelen, Switzerland
| | - Michael Taborsky
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Behavioral Ecology Division, University of Bern, Wohlenstrasse 50a, 3032 Hinterkappelen, Switzerland
| | - Fabienne Villa
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Behavioral Ecology Division, University of Bern, Wohlenstrasse 50a, 3032 Hinterkappelen, Switzerland
| | - Joachim G. Frommen
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Behavioral Ecology Division, University of Bern, Wohlenstrasse 50a, 3032 Hinterkappelen, Switzerland
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McCallum ES, Gulas ST, Balshine S. Accurate resource assessment requires experience in a territorial fish. Anim Behav 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2016.10.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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Costenaro-Ferreira C, Oliveira RR, Oliveira PL, Hartmann GJ, Hammes FB, Pouey JL, Piedras SR. Cannibalism management of jundiá fry, Rhamdia quelen : Behavior in heterogeneous batches fed on food with different particle sizes. Appl Anim Behav Sci 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2016.10.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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Contest experience and body size affect different types of contest decisions. Anim Cogn 2016; 19:1183-1193. [DOI: 10.1007/s10071-016-1028-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2016] [Revised: 08/15/2016] [Accepted: 08/22/2016] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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Bush JM, Quinn MM, Balreira EC, Johnson MA. How do lizards determine dominance? Applying ranking algorithms to animal social behaviour. Anim Behav 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2016.04.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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Hellmann JK, Sovic MG, Gibbs HL, Reddon AR, O'Connor CM, Ligocki IY, Marsh-Rollo S, Balshine S, Hamilton IM. Within-group relatedness is correlated with colony-level social structure and reproductive sharing in a social fish. Mol Ecol 2016; 25:4001-13. [PMID: 27297293 DOI: 10.1111/mec.13728] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2016] [Revised: 05/28/2016] [Accepted: 06/01/2016] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer K. Hellmann
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology; The Ohio State University; 318 West 12th Avenue Columbus OH 43210 USA
| | - Michael G. Sovic
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology; The Ohio State University; 318 West 12th Avenue Columbus OH 43210 USA
| | - H. Lisle Gibbs
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology; The Ohio State University; 318 West 12th Avenue Columbus OH 43210 USA
| | - Adam R. Reddon
- Department of Psychology, Neuroscience, and Behaviour; Aquatic Behavioural Ecology Lab; McMaster University; 1280 Main Street West Hamilton ON Canada L8S 4K1
| | - Constance M. O'Connor
- Department of Psychology, Neuroscience, and Behaviour; Aquatic Behavioural Ecology Lab; McMaster University; 1280 Main Street West Hamilton ON Canada L8S 4K1
| | - Isaac Y. Ligocki
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology; The Ohio State University; 318 West 12th Avenue Columbus OH 43210 USA
| | - Susan Marsh-Rollo
- Department of Psychology, Neuroscience, and Behaviour; Aquatic Behavioural Ecology Lab; McMaster University; 1280 Main Street West Hamilton ON Canada L8S 4K1
| | - Sigal Balshine
- Department of Psychology, Neuroscience, and Behaviour; Aquatic Behavioural Ecology Lab; McMaster University; 1280 Main Street West Hamilton ON Canada L8S 4K1
| | - Ian M. Hamilton
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology; The Ohio State University; 318 West 12th Avenue Columbus OH 43210 USA
- Department of Mathematics; The Ohio State University; 231 West 18th Avenue Columbus OH 43210 USA
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