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Culbert BM, Ligocki IY, Salena MG, Wong MYL, Hamilton IM, Aubin-Horth N, Bernier NJ, Balshine S. Rank- and sex-specific differences in the neuroendocrine regulation of glucocorticoids in a wild group-living fish. Horm Behav 2021; 136:105079. [PMID: 34717080 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2021.105079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2021] [Revised: 07/27/2021] [Accepted: 10/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Individuals that live in groups experience different challenges based on their social rank and sex. Glucocorticoids have a well-established role in coordinating responses to challenges and glucocorticoid levels often vary between ranks and sexes. However, the neuroendocrine mechanisms regulating glucocorticoid dynamics in wild groups are poorly understood, making it difficult to determine the functional consequences of differences in glucocorticoid levels. Therefore, we observed wild social groups of a cooperatively breeding fish (Neolamprologus pulcher) and evaluated how scale cortisol content (an emerging method to evaluate cortisol dynamics in fishes) and expression of glucocorticoid-related genes varied across group members. Scale cortisol was detectable in ~50% of dominant males (7/17) and females (7/15)-but not in any subordinates (0/16)-suggesting that glucocorticoid levels were higher in dominants. However, the apparent behavioural and neuroendocrine factors regulating cortisol levels varied between dominant sexes. In dominant females, higher cortisol was associated with greater rates of territory defense and increased expression of corticotropin-releasing factor in the preoptic and hypothalamic regions of the brain, but these patterns were not observed in dominant males. Additionally, transcriptional differences in the liver suggest that dominant sexes may use different mechanisms to cope with elevated cortisol levels. While dominant females appeared to reduce the relative sensitivity of their liver to cortisol (fewer corticosteroid receptor transcripts), dominant males appeared to increase hepatic cortisol breakdown (more catabolic enzyme transcripts). Overall, our results offer valuable insights on the mechanisms regulating rank- and sex-based glucocorticoid dynamics, as well as the potential functional outcomes of these differences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brett M Culbert
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada.
| | - Isaac Y Ligocki
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA; Department of Biology, Millersville University, Millersville, PA, USA
| | - Matthew G Salena
- Department of Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Marian Y L Wong
- School of Earth, Atmospheric and Life Sciences, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia
| | - 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
| | - Nadia Aubin-Horth
- Département de Biologie and Institut de Biologie Intégrative et des Systèmes (IBIS), Université Laval, Québec, Quebec, Canada
| | - Nicholas J Bernier
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
| | - Sigal Balshine
- Department of Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
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2
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Pupil size variation as a response to stress in European catfish and its application for social stress detection in albino conspecifics. PLoS One 2021; 15:e0244017. [PMID: 33382718 PMCID: PMC7775050 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0244017] [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: 08/16/2020] [Accepted: 12/01/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Hormonal changes such as increased cortisol level in blood plasma in response to stress and social environmental stimuli are common among vertebrates including humans and typically accompanied by other physiological processes, such as changes in body pigmentation and/or pupil dilatation. The role of pupil size variation (PSV) as a response to stress have yet to be investigated in fish. We exposed albino and pigmented European catfish to short-term stress and measured changes in pupil size and cortisol level. Albinos showed lower pupil dilatation and higher cortisol levels than did pigmented conspecifics. A clear positive relationship between pupil dilatation and cortisol concentrations was observed for both pigmented and albino specimens, suggesting that PSV can be used as a stress indicator in fish, irrespective of albino’s inability to express social communication by coloring. During the follow-up, we investigated whether a penultimate contest between albino individuals would impact contestants’ social stress during subsequent contact. We observed PSV during the contact of unfamiliar albino catfish with different penultimate experiences (winner (W) and/or loser (L)). Then, the following treatment combinations were tested: WW, WL and LL. Twenty-four-hour contact of two unfamiliar catfish resulted in higher pupil dilatation among individuals with previous winner experience. Among treatment combinations, a WL contest displayed the highest pupil dilatation for winners. PSV reflected socially induced stress in individuals that was accompanied by the “winner” experience and dominancy in albinos. To conclude, the present study validates pupil dilatation as a non-invasive method to evaluate stress level in pigmented as well as albino fish in various contexts.
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3
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Kasper C, Schreier T, Taborsky B. Heritabilities, social environment effects and genetic correlations of social behaviours in a cooperatively breeding vertebrate. J Evol Biol 2019; 32:955-973. [PMID: 31152617 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.13494] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2018] [Revised: 04/25/2019] [Accepted: 05/20/2019] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Social animals interact frequently with conspecifics, and their behaviour is influenced by social context, environmental cues and the behaviours of interaction partners, allowing for adaptive, flexible adjustments to social encounters. This flexibility can be limited by part of the behavioural variation being genetically determined. Furthermore, behaviours can be genetically correlated, potentially constraining independent evolution. Understanding social behaviour thus requires carefully disentangling genetic, environmental, maternal and social sources of variations as well as the correlation structure between behaviours. Here, we assessed heritability, maternal, common environment and social effects of eight social behaviours in Neolamprologus pulcher, a cooperatively breeding cichlid. We bred wild-caught fish in a paternal half-sibling design and scored ability to defend a resource against conspecifics, to integrate into a group and the propensity to help defending the group territory ("helping behaviour"). We assessed genetic, social and phenotypic correlations within clusters of behaviours predicted to be functionally related, namely "competition," "aggression," "aggression-sociability," "integration" and "integration-help." Helping behaviour and two affiliative behaviours were heritable, whereas there was little evidence for a genetic basis in all other traits. Phenotypic social effects explained part of the variation in a sociable and a submissive behaviour, but there were no maternal or common environment effects. Genetic and phenotypic correlation within clusters was mostly positive. A group's social environment influenced covariances of social behaviours. Genetic correlations were similar in magnitude but usually exceeding the phenotypic ones, indicating that conclusions about the evolution of social behaviours in this species could be provisionally drawn from phenotypic data in cases where data for genetic analyses are unobtainable.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Kasper
- Behavioural Ecology, University of Bern, Hinterkappelen, Switzerland
| | - Tanja Schreier
- Behavioural Ecology, University of Bern, Hinterkappelen, Switzerland
| | - Barbara Taborsky
- Behavioural Ecology, University of Bern, Hinterkappelen, Switzerland
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4
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Sadoul B, Geffroy B. Measuring cortisol, the major stress hormone in fishes. JOURNAL OF FISH BIOLOGY 2019; 94:540-555. [PMID: 30667059 DOI: 10.1111/jfb.13904] [Citation(s) in RCA: 108] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2018] [Accepted: 01/21/2019] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
Stress in teleosts is an increasingly studied topic because of its interaction with growth, reproduction, immune system and ultimately fitness of the animal. Whether it is for evaluating welfare in aquaculture, adaptive capacities in fish ecology, or to investigate effects of human-induced rapid environmental change, new experimental methods to describe stress physiology in captive or wild fish have flourished. Cortisol has proven to be a reliable indicator of stress and is considered the major stress hormone. Initially principally measured in blood, cortisol measurement methods are now evolving towards lower invasiveness and to allow repeated measurements over time. We present an overview of recent achievements in the field of cortisol measurement in fishes, discussing new alternatives to blood, whole body and eggs as matrices for cortisol measurement, notably mucus, faeces, water, scales and fins. In parallel, new analytical tools are being developed to increase specificity, sensitivity and automation of the measure. The review provides the founding principles of these techniques and introduces their potential as continuous monitoring tools. Finally, we consider promising avenues of research that could be prioritised in the field of stress physiology of fishes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bastien Sadoul
- MARBEC, Ifremer, University of Montpellier, CNRS, IRD, Palavas Les-Flots, France
| | - Benjamin Geffroy
- MARBEC, Ifremer, University of Montpellier, CNRS, IRD, Palavas Les-Flots, France
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5
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Ligocki IY, Earley RL, Hamilton IM. How individual and relative size affect participation in territorial defense and cortisol levels in a social fish. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL ZOOLOGY PART 2019; 331:217-226. [PMID: 30650252 DOI: 10.1002/jez.2255] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2018] [Revised: 12/06/2018] [Accepted: 12/07/2018] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
For many species, behaviors such as territory defense and parental care are energetically costly, but are nonetheless can provide substantial fitness gains. In systems in which both parents provide parental care, each of the parents benefits from exhibiting (or having their partner exhibit) these behaviors. However, in many cases, costs and benefits differ between parents due to factors such as size or sex. Different intruder types may also impose different costs on parents. Predatory intruders might consume offspring, whereas conspecifics might threaten the social status of a parent, or provide benefits as a potential group joiner or mate. Responses to these intrusions may also be associated with variation in individual stress responses. We investigated associations among male and female sizes, and the interaction between these, with defense against conspecific and heterospecific territorial intruders by members of successfully breeding pairs in the cichlid fish Neolamprologus pulcher. We also investigated whether cortisol levels were associated with size or participation in territory defense because each may be a cause or consequence of individual variation in the stress response. We found that females paired with large males performed fewer defensive behaviors than females paired with smaller males. Males paired with relatively large females had higher baseline cortisol levels than those paired with smaller females. Collectively, individual characteristics such as size have consequences for each individual's behavior, and also influence the behavior, and endocrine state of social partners.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isaac Y Ligocki
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
| | - Ryan L Earley
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama
| | - Ian M Hamilton
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio.,Department of Mathematics, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
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6
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Dellinger M, Zhang W, Bell AM, Hellmann JK. Do male sticklebacks use visual and/or olfactory cues to assess a potential mate's history with predation risk? Anim Behav 2018; 145:151-159. [PMID: 31666748 DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2018.09.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Differential allocation occurs when individuals alter their reproductive investment based on their mate's traits. A previous study showed that male threespine sticklebacks, Gasterosteus aculeatus, reduced courtship towards females that had previously been exposed to predation risk compared to unexposed females. This suggests that males can detect a female's previous history with predation risk, but the mechanisms by which males assess a female's history are unknown. To determine whether males use chemical and/or visual cues to detect a female's previous history with predation risk, we compared rates of courtship behaviour in the presence of visual and/or olfactory cues of predator-exposed females versus unexposed females in a 2×2 factorial design. We found that males differentiate between unexposed and predator-exposed females using visual cues: regardless of the olfactory cues present, males performed fewer zigzags (a conspicuous courtship behaviour) when they were exposed to visual cues from predator-exposed females compared to unexposed females. However, males' response to olfactory cues changed over the course of the experiment: initially, males performed fewer courtship displays when they received olfactory cues of predator-exposed females compared to unexposed females, but they did not discriminate between cues from predator-exposed and unexposed females later in the experiment. A follow-up experiment found that levels of cortisol released by both predator-exposed and unexposed females decreased over the course of the experiment. If cortisol is linked to or correlated with olfactory cues of predation risk that are released by females, then this suggests that the olfactory cues became less potent over the course of the experiment. Altogether, these results suggest that males use both visual and olfactory cues to differentiate between unexposed and predator-exposed females, which may help ensure reliable communication in a noisy environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marion Dellinger
- COMUE Université Bretagne Loire, Oniris, Nantes-Atlantic College of veterinary medicine and food sciences
| | - Weiran Zhang
- Department of Animal Biology, School of Integrative Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
| | - Alison M Bell
- Department of Animal Biology, School of Integrative Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.,Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign.,Neuroscience Program, University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign.,Program in Ecology, Evolution and Conservation, University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign
| | - Jennifer K Hellmann
- Department of Animal Biology, School of Integrative Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
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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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8
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Radford AN, Majolo B, Aureli F. Within-group behavioural consequences of between-group conflict: a prospective review. Proc Biol Sci 2017; 283:rspb.2016.1567. [PMID: 27903869 PMCID: PMC5136580 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2016.1567] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2016] [Accepted: 10/31/2016] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Conflict is rife in group-living species and exerts a powerful selective force. Group members face a variety of threats from extra-group conspecifics, from individuals looking for reproductive opportunities to rival groups seeking resources. Theory predicts that such between-group conflict should influence within-group behaviour. However, compared with the extensive literature on the consequences of within-group conflict, relatively little research has considered the behavioural impacts of between-group conflict. We give an overview of why between-group conflict is expected to influence subsequent behaviour among group members. We then use what is known about the consequences of within-group conflict to generate testable predictions about how between-group conflict might affect within-group behaviour in the aftermath. We consider the types of behaviour that could change and how the role of different group members in the conflict can exert an influence. Furthermore, we discuss how conflict characteristics and outcome, group size, social structure and within-group relationship quality might modulate post-conflict behavioural changes. Finally, we propose the need for consistent definitions, a broader range of examined behaviours and taxa, individual-focused data collection, complementary observational and experimental approaches, and a consideration of lasting effects if we are to understand fully the significant influence of between-group conflict on social behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew N Radford
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, 24 Tyndall Avenue, Bristol BS8 1TQ, UK
| | - Bonaventura Majolo
- School of Psychology, University of Lincoln, Brayford Pool, Lincoln LN6 7TS, UK
| | - Filippo Aureli
- Instituto de Neuroetologia, Universidad Veracruzana, Xalapa 91000 Veracruz, Mexico.,Research Centre in Evolutionary Anthropology and Palaeoecology, Liverpool John Moore University, Liverpool L3 3AF, UK
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9
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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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Pottinger TG, Williams RJ, Matthiessen P. A comparison of two methods for the assessment of stress axis activity in wild fish in relation to wastewater effluent exposure. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2016; 230-231:29-37. [PMID: 26996427 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2016.03.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2015] [Revised: 03/14/2016] [Accepted: 03/16/2016] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Riverine fish are particularly vulnerable to chemical exposure - rivers receive chemicals of anthropogenic origin from a variety of sources, one of the most significant being the chemically complex effluents discharged by wastewater treatment works (WWTWs). The extent to which non-reproductive components of the endocrine system in fish may be vulnerable to interference by contaminants associated with WWTW effluent is not well understood, but a significant body of evidence does suggest that contaminants present in the aquatic environment may interfere with the normal function of the neuroendocrine stress axis in fish. Field investigations of stress axis function in free-living populations of fish by measurement of hormone concentrations in blood can be confounded by the remoteness of sampling locations and the size of target species. Two methods for assessing stress axis reactivity in situations where blood samples are unavailable were compared in three-spined sticklebacks in relation to their exposure to WWTWs effluent. Sticklebacks were sampled in two successive years at fifteen sites in north-west England impacted by WWTW effluent and the response of each fish to the combined stressor of capture and a brief period of confinement was evaluated using both whole-body immunoreactive cortisol concentrations (WBIC) and the rate of release of cortisol to water (CRTW). A positive relationship between the magnitude of stress-induced CRTW in sticklebacks of both sexes and WWTW effluent concentration at site of capture was observed in both years. However, the relationship between stress-induced WBIC and WWTW effluent concentration was not consistent. These results suggest that components of WWTW effluent can modulate the magnitude of the neuroendocrine stress response in sticklebacks, and by inference in other fish species, but they raise questions about the measurement and interpretation of stress axis responses in fish via endpoints other than blood hormone concentrations. Possible factors underlying the disparity between the CRTW and WBIC results are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tom G Pottinger
- Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Lancaster Environment Centre, Library Avenue, Bailrigg, Lancaster LA1 4AP, UK.
| | - Richard J Williams
- Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Maclean Building, Benson Lane, Crowmarsh Gifford, Wallingford OX10 8BB, UK
| | - Peter Matthiessen
- Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Lancaster Environment Centre, Library Avenue, Bailrigg, Lancaster LA1 4AP, UK
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