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Cavieres G, Bozinovic F, Bogdanovich JM, Rivera DS. Impact of prolonged chronic social isolation stress on behavior and multifractal complexity of metabolic rate in Octodon degus. Front Behav Neurosci 2023; 17:1239157. [PMID: 37928446 PMCID: PMC10622977 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2023.1239157] [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: 07/04/2023] [Accepted: 09/25/2023] [Indexed: 11/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Social interaction can improve animal performance through the prevention of stress-related events, the provision of security, and the enhancement of reproductive output and survival. We investigated the effects of prolonged chronic social isolation stress on behavioral, cognitive, and physiological performance in the social, long-lived rodent Octodon degus. Degu pups were separated into two social stress treatments: control (CTRL) and chronically isolated (CI) individuals from post-natal and post-weaning until adulthood. We quantified anxiety-like behavior and cognitive performance with a battery of behavioral tests. Additionally, we measured their basal metabolic rate (BMR) and analyzed the multifractal properties of the oxygen consumption time series using Multifractal Detrended Fluctuation Analysis, a well-known method for assessing the fractal characteristics of biological signals. Our results showed that CI induced a significant increase in anxiety-like behaviors and led to a reduction in social and working memory in male degus. In addition, CI-treated degus reduced the multifractal complexity of BMR compared to CTRL, which implies a decrease in the ability to respond to environmental stressors and, as a result, an unhealthy state. In contrast, we did not observe significant effects of social stress on BMR. Multivariate analyses showed a clear separation of behavior and physiological variables into two clusters, corresponding to CI and CTRL degus. This study provides novel insights into the effects of prolonged chronic social isolation stress on behavior, cognitive performance, and metabolic complexity in this rodent animal model. To the best of our knowledge, it is the first study to integrate cognitive-behavioral performance and multifractal dynamics of a physiological signal in response to prolonged social isolation. These findings highlight the importance of social interactions for the well-being and overall performance of social animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grisel Cavieres
- Departamento de Zoología, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Oceanográficas, Universidad de Concepción, Concepción, Chile
- Center of Applied Ecology and Sustainability (CAPES), Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Francisco Bozinovic
- Center of Applied Ecology and Sustainability (CAPES), Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
- Departamento de Ecología, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - José Miguel Bogdanovich
- Center of Applied Ecology and Sustainability (CAPES), Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
- Departamento de Ecología, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Daniela S. Rivera
- GEMA Center for Genomics, Ecology and Environment, Facultad de Ciencias, Ingeniería y Tecnología, Universidad Mayor, Santiago, Chile
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Cooke SJ, Madliger CL, Lennox RJ, Olden JD, Eliason EJ, Cramp RL, Fuller A, Franklin CE, Seebacher F. Biological mechanisms matter in contemporary wildlife conservation. iScience 2023; 26:106192. [PMID: 36895647 PMCID: PMC9988666 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.106192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Given limited resources for wildlife conservation paired with an urgency to halt declines and rebuild populations, it is imperative that management actions are tactical and effective. Mechanisms are about how a system works and can inform threat identification and mitigation such that conservation actions that work can be identified. Here, we call for a more mechanistic approach to wildlife conservation and management where behavioral and physiological tools and knowledge are used to characterize drivers of decline, identify environmental thresholds, reveal strategies that would restore populations, and prioritize conservation actions. With a growing toolbox for doing mechanistic conservation research as well as a suite of decision-support tools (e.g., mechanistic models), the time is now to fully embrace the concept that mechanisms matter in conservation ensuring that management actions are tactical and focus on actions that have the potential to directly benefit and restore wildlife populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven J. Cooke
- Fish Ecology and Conservation Physiology Laboratory, Department of Biology and Institute of Environmental and Interdisciplinary Science, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Dr., Ottawa, ON K1S 5B6, Canada
- Corresponding author
| | - Christine L. Madliger
- Department of Biology, Algoma University, 1520 Queen St. East, Sault Ste. Marie, ON P6A 2G4, Canada
| | - Robert J. Lennox
- Norwegian Research Centre (NORCE), Laboratory for Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, 5008 Bergen, Norway
| | - Julian D. Olden
- School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195-5020, USA
| | - Erika J. Eliason
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
| | - Rebecca L. Cramp
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Andrea Fuller
- Brain Function Research Group, School of Physiology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Parktown 2193, South Africa
| | - Craig E. Franklin
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Frank Seebacher
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences A08, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
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3
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Chrétien E, Boisclair D, Cooke SJ, Killen SS. Social Group Size and Shelter Availability Influence Individual Metabolic Traits in a Social Fish. Integr Org Biol 2021; 3:obab032. [PMID: 34859193 PMCID: PMC8633746 DOI: 10.1093/iob/obab032] [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] [Received: 05/26/2021] [Revised: 09/22/2021] [Accepted: 10/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Group living is widespread among animal species and yields both costs and benefits. Presence of conspecifics can restrict or enhance the expression of individual behavior, and the recent social environment is thought to affect behavioral responses in later contexts, even when individuals are alone. However, little is known about how social group size influences the expression of individual physiological traits, including metabolic rates. There is some evidence that shoaling can reduce fish metabolic rates but this variable may be affected by habitat conditions such as shelter availability via density-dependent processes. We investigated how social group size and shelter availability influence Eurasian minnow (Phoxinus phoxinus) metabolic rates estimated by respirometry. Respirometry trials were conducted on fish in isolation before and after they were housed for 3 weeks in a social treatment consisting in a specific group size (n = 4 or 8) and shelter availability (presence or absence of plant shelter in the experimental tank). Plant shelter was placed over respirometers for half of the duration of the respirometry trials, allowing estimation of minimum daytime and nighttime metabolic rates in both conditions (in the presence or absence of plant shelter). Standard metabolic rate (SMR), maximum metabolic rate (MMR), and aerobic scope were also estimated over the entire trial. Minimum daytime and nighttime metabolic rates estimated while in presence of plant shelter were lower than when estimated in absence of plant shelter, both before and after individuals were housed in their social treatment. After the social treatment, SMRs were higher for fish that were held in groups of 4 as compared with those of fish held in groups of 8, while MMR showed no difference. Plant shelter availability during the social treatments did not influence SMR or MMR. Our results suggest that social group size may directly influence energy demands of individuals, highlighting the importance of understanding the role of group size on variations in physiological traits associated with energy expenditure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emmanuelle Chrétien
- Département de sciences biologiques, Université de Montréal, Campus MIL, 1375 Av. Thérèse-Lavoie-Roux, Montréal, QC H2V 0B3, Canada
- Groupe interuniversitaire en limnologie et environnement aquatique (GRIL), Campus MIL, 1375 Av. Thérèse-Lavoie-Roux, Montréal, QC H2V 0B3, Canada
| | - Daniel Boisclair
- Département de sciences biologiques, Université de Montréal, Campus MIL, 1375 Av. Thérèse-Lavoie-Roux, Montréal, QC H2V 0B3, Canada
- Groupe interuniversitaire en limnologie et environnement aquatique (GRIL), Campus MIL, 1375 Av. Thérèse-Lavoie-Roux, Montréal, QC H2V 0B3, Canada
| | - Steven J Cooke
- Fish Ecology and Conservation Physiology Laboratory, Department of Biology and Institute of Environmental and Interdisciplinary Science, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, ON K1S 5B6, Canada
| | - Shaun S Killen
- Groupe interuniversitaire en limnologie et environnement aquatique (GRIL), Campus MIL, 1375 Av. Thérèse-Lavoie-Roux, Montréal, QC H2V 0B3, Canada
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Graham Kerr Building, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK
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Prystay TS, de Bruijn R, Peiman KS, Hinch SG, Patterson DA, Farrell AP, Eliason EJ, Cooke SJ. Cardiac Performance of Free-Swimming Wild Sockeye Salmon during the Reproductive Period. Integr Org Biol 2019; 2:obz031. [PMID: 33791582 PMCID: PMC7671112 DOI: 10.1093/iob/obz031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Researchers have surmised that the ability to obtain dominance during reproduction is related to an individual’s ability to better sequester the energy required for reproductive behaviors and develop secondary sexual characteristics, presumably through enhanced physiological performance. However, studies testing this idea are limited. Using sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka), we explored the relationship between heart rate and dominance behavior during spawning. We predicted that an individual’s reproductive status and energy requirements associated with dominance can be assessed by relating routine heart rate to changes in spawning status over time (i.e., shifts among aggregation, subordinance, and dominance). Thus, we used routine heart rate as a proxy of relative energy expenditure. Heart rate increased with temperature, as expected, and was higher during the day than at night, a known diel pattern that became less pronounced as the spawning period progressed. Routine heart rate did not differ between sexes and average heart rate of the population did not differ among reproductive behaviors. At the individual level, heart rate did not change as behavior shifted from one state to another (e.g., dominance versus aggregation). No other trends existed between routine heart rate and sex, secondary sexual characteristics, survival duration or spawning success (for females only). Therefore, while our study revealed the complexity of the relationships between cardiac performance and reproductive behaviors in wild fish and demonstrated the importance of considering environmental factors when exploring individual heart rate, we found no support for heart rate being related to specific spawning behavioral status or secondary sexual characteristics.
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Affiliation(s)
- T S Prystay
- Fish Ecology and Conservation Physiology Laboratory, Department of Biology and Institute of Environmental Science, Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada
| | - R de Bruijn
- Fish Ecology and Conservation Physiology Laboratory, Department of Biology and Institute of Environmental Science, Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada
| | - K S Peiman
- Fish Ecology and Conservation Physiology Laboratory, Department of Biology and Institute of Environmental Science, Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada
| | - S G Hinch
- Department of Forest and Conservation Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - D A Patterson
- Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - A P Farrell
- Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Cooperative Resource Management Institute, School of Resource and Environmental Management, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, Canada
| | - E J Eliason
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
| | - S J Cooke
- Fish Ecology and Conservation Physiology Laboratory, Department of Biology and Institute of Environmental Science, Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada
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Midwood JD, Larsen MH, Aarestrup K, Cooke SJ. Stress and food deprivation: linking physiological state to migration success in a teleost fish. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2016; 219:3712-3718. [PMID: 27618858 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.140665] [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: 03/20/2016] [Accepted: 09/07/2016] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Food deprivation is a naturally occurring stressor that is thought to influence the ultimate life-history strategy of individuals. Little is known about how food deprivation interacts with other stressors to influence migration success. European populations of brown trout (Salmo trutta) exhibit partial migration, whereby a portion of the population smoltifies and migrates to the ocean, and the rest remain in their natal stream. This distinct, natural dichotomy of life-history strategies provides an excellent opportunity to explore the roles of energetic state (as affected by food deprivation) and activation of the glucocorticoid stress response in determining life-history strategy and survival of a migratory species. Using an experimental approach, the relative influences of short-term food deprivation and experimental cortisol elevation (i.e. intra-coelomic injection of cortisol suspended in cocoa butter) on migratory status, survival and growth of juvenile brown trout relative to a control were evaluated. Fewer fish migrated in both the food deprivation and cortisol treatments; however, migration of fish in cortisol and control treatments occurred at the same time while that of fish in the food deprivation treatment was delayed for approximately 1 week. A significantly greater proportion of trout in the food deprivation treatment remained in their natal stream, but unlike the cortisol treatment, there were no long-term negative effects of food deprivation on growth, relative to the control. Overall survival rates were comparable between the food deprivation and control treatments, but significantly lower for fish in the cortisol treatment. Food availability and individual energetic state appear to dictate the future life-history strategy (migrate or remain resident) of juvenile salmonids while experimental elevation of the stress hormone cortisol causes impaired growth and reduced survival of both resident and migratory individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan D Midwood
- Fish Ecology and Conservation Physiology Laboratory, Department of Biology and Institute of Environmental Science, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, ON, Canada K1S 5B6
| | - Martin H Larsen
- National Institute of Aquatic Resources, Freshwater Fisheries, Technical University of Denmark, Vejlsøvej 39, Silkeborg 8600, Denmark
| | - Kim Aarestrup
- National Institute of Aquatic Resources, Freshwater Fisheries, Technical University of Denmark, Vejlsøvej 39, Silkeborg 8600, Denmark
| | - Steven J Cooke
- Fish Ecology and Conservation Physiology Laboratory, Department of Biology and Institute of Environmental Science, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, ON, Canada K1S 5B6
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6
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Sakamoto K, Dew WA, Hecnar SJ, Pyle GG. Effects of Lampricide on Olfaction and Behavior in Young-of-the-Year Lake Sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens). ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2016; 50:3462-3468. [PMID: 27015540 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.6b01051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
The lampricide, 3-trifluoromethyl-4-nitrophenol (TFM), is a primary component to sea lamprey control in the Laurentian Great Lakes. Though the lethal effects of TFM are well-known, the sublethal effects on fishes are virtually unknown. Here we studied the effects of TFM on the olfactory capabilities and behavior of young-of-the-year (YOY) lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens). At ecologically relevant concentrations of TFM there was reduced olfactory response to all three cues (l-alanine, taurocholic acid, food cue) tested, suggesting that TFM inhibits both olfactory sensory neurons tested. Sturgeon exposed to TFM also showed a reduced attraction to the scent of food and reduced consumption of food relative to unexposed fish. Exposed fish were more active than control fish, but with slower acceleration. Fish were able to detect the scent of TFM, but failed to avoid it in behavioral trials. The connection between neurophysiological and behavioral changes, and the commonality of habitats between sturgeon and lamprey ammocoetes, suggests that there may be effects at the ecosystem level in streams that undergo lamprey control treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathrine Sakamoto
- Department of Biology, Lakehead University , 955 Oliver Road, Thunder Bay, Ontario P7B 5E1, Canada
| | - William A Dew
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Lethbridge , 4401 University Drive, Lethbridge, Alberta T1K 3M4, Canada
- Department of Biology, Trent University , 2140 East Bank Drive, Peterborough, Ontario K9J 7B8, Canada
| | - Stephen J Hecnar
- Department of Biology, Lakehead University , 955 Oliver Road, Thunder Bay, Ontario P7B 5E1, Canada
| | - Gregory G Pyle
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Lethbridge , 4401 University Drive, Lethbridge, Alberta T1K 3M4, Canada
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Melnyk-Lamont N, Best C, Gesto M, Vijayan MM. The antidepressant venlafaxine disrupts brain monoamine levels and neuroendocrine responses to stress in rainbow trout. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2014; 48:13434-13442. [PMID: 25356744 DOI: 10.1021/es504331n] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Venlafaxine, a serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor, is a widely prescribed antidepressant drug routinely detected in the aquatic environment. However, little is known about its impact on the physiology of nontarget organisms. We tested the hypothesis that venlafaxine perturbs brain monoamine levels and disrupts molecular responses essential for stress coping and feeding activity in fish. Rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) were exposed to waterborne venlafaxine (0.2 and 1.0 μg/L) for 7 days. This treatment elevated norepinephrine, serotonin, and dopamine levels in the brain in a region-specific manner. Venlafaxine also increased the transcript levels of genes involved in stress and appetite regulation, including corticotropin releasing factor, pro-opiomelanocortin B, and glucose transporter type 2 in distinct brain regions of trout. The drug treatment reduced the total feed consumed per day, but did not affect the feeding behavior of the dominant and subordinate fish. However, the subordinate fish from the venlafaxine-exposed group had significantly higher plasma cortisol levels compared to the subordinate fish in the control group. Collectively, our results demonstrate that venlafaxine, at environmentally realistic levels, is a neuroendocrine disruptor, impacting the stress and feeding responses in rainbow trout. We propose the midbrain region as a key target for venlafaxine impact and the mode of action involves abnormal monoamine content in trout.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nataliya Melnyk-Lamont
- Department of Biology, University of Waterloo , 200 University Avenue West, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada , N2L 3G1
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8
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Cull F, Suski CD, Shultz A, Danylchuk AJ, O'Connor CM, Murchie KJ, Cooke SJ. Consequences of experimental cortisol manipulations on the thermal biology of the checkered puffer (Sphoeroides testudineus) in laboratory and field environments. J Therm Biol 2014; 47:63-74. [PMID: 25526656 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtherbio.2014.11.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2014] [Revised: 11/03/2014] [Accepted: 11/04/2014] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Anthropogenic climate change is altering temperature regimes for coastal marine fishes. However, given that temperature changes will not occur in isolation of other stressors, it is necessary to explore the potential consequences of stress on the thermal tolerances and preferences of tropical marine fish in order to understand the thresholds for survival, and predict the associated coastal ecological consequences. In this study, we used exogenous cortisol injections to investigate the effects of a thermal challenge on checkered puffers (Sphoeroides testudineus) as a secondary stressor. There were no significant differences between control and cortisol-treated fish 48h following cortisol treatment for swimming ability (using a chase to exhaustion protocol), blood glucose concentrations or standard metabolic rate. In the lab, control and cortisol-treated puffers were exposed to ambient (29.1±1.5°C), ambient +5°C (heat shock) and ambient -5°C (cold shock) for 4h and to evaluate the consequences of abrupt temperature change on puff performance and blood physiology. Following cold shock, control fish exhibited increases in cortisol levels and weak 'puff' performance. Conversely, fish dosed with cortisol exhibited consistently high cortisol levels independent of thermal treatment, although there was a trend for an attenuated cortisol response in the cortisol-treated fish to the cold shock treatment. A 20-day complementary field study conducted in the puffer's natural habitat, a tidal creek in Eleuthera, The Bahamas, revealed that cortisol-injected fish selected significantly cooler temperatures, measured using accumulated thermal units, when compared to controls. These results, and particularly the discrepancies between consequences documented in the laboratory and the ecological trends observed in the field, highlight the need to establish the link between laboratory and field data to successfully develop management policies and conservation initiatives with regards to anthropogenic climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- F Cull
- Fish Ecology and Conservation Physiology Laboratory, Department of Biology, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K1S 5B6.
| | - C D Suski
- Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences, University of Illinois, Champaign, IL 61801, USA.
| | - A Shultz
- Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences, University of Illinois, Champaign, IL 61801, USA; Cape Eleuthera Institute, Eleuthera, Bahamas.
| | - A J Danylchuk
- Department of Environmental Conservation, University of Massachusetts Amherst, 160 Holdsworth Way, Amherst, MA 01003, USA.
| | - C M O'Connor
- Department of Psychology, Neuroscience, and Behaviour, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada L8S 4L8.
| | - K J Murchie
- Department of Biology, The College of The Bahamas, Box F-2766, Freeport, Grand Bahama, Bahamas.
| | - S J Cooke
- Fish Ecology and Conservation Physiology Laboratory, Department of Biology, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K1S 5B6; Institute of Environmental Science, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K1S 5B6.
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Cooke SJ, Blumstein DT, Buchholz R, Caro T, Fernández-Juricic E, Franklin CE, Metcalfe J, O’Connor CM, St. Clair CC, Sutherland WJ, Wikelski M. Physiology, Behavior, and Conservation. Physiol Biochem Zool 2014; 87:1-14. [DOI: 10.1086/671165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 91] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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Giske J, Eliassen S, Fiksen Ø, Jakobsen PJ, Aksnes DL, Jørgensen C, Mangel M. Effects of the emotion system on adaptive behavior. Am Nat 2013; 182:689-703. [PMID: 24231532 DOI: 10.1086/673533] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
A central simplifying assumption in evolutionary behavioral ecology has been that optimal behavior is unaffected by genetic or proximate constraints. Observations and experiments show otherwise, so that attention to decision architecture and mechanisms is needed. In psychology, the proximate constraints on decision making and the processes from perception to behavior are collectively described as the emotion system. We specify a model of the emotion system in fish that includes sensory input, neuronal computation, developmental modulation, and a global organismic state and restricts attention during decision making for behavioral outcomes. The model further includes food competition, safety in numbers, and a fluctuating environment. We find that emergent strategies in evolved populations include common emotional appraisal of sensory input related to fear and hunger and also include frequency-dependent rules for behavioral responses. Focused attention is at times more important than spatial behavior for growth and survival. Spatial segregation of the population is driven by personality differences. By coupling proximate and immediate influences on behavior with ultimate fitness consequences through the emotion system, this approach contributes to a unified perspective on the phenotype, by integrating effects of the environment, genetics, development, physiology, behavior, life history, and evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jarl Giske
- Department of Biology, University of Bergen, Postboks 7803, 5020 Bergen, Norway
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11
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Horning M. Constraint lines and performance envelopes in behavioral physiology: the case of the aerobic dive limit. Front Physiol 2012; 3:381. [PMID: 23055984 PMCID: PMC3458304 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2012.00381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2012] [Accepted: 09/08/2012] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Constraint lines-the boundaries that delimit point clouds in bivariate scattergrams-have been applied in macro-ecology to quantify the effects of limiting factors on response variables, but have not been applied to the behavioral performance and physiological ecology of individual vertebrates. I propose that behavioral scattergrams of air-breathing, diving vertebrates contain informative edges that convey insights into physiological constraints that shape the performance envelopes of divers. In the classic example of repeated cycles of apnea and eupnea in diving, air-breathing vertebrates, the need to balance oxygen consumption, and intake should differentially constrain recovery for dives within or exceeding the aerobic dive limit (ADL). However, the bulk of variance observed in recovery versus dive duration scattergrams originates from undetermined behavioral variables, and deviations from overall stasis may become increasingly apparent at progressively smaller scales of observation. As shown on dive records from 79 Galápagos fur seals, the selection of appropriate time scales of integration yields two distinct recovery boundaries for dive series within and beyond the estimated ADL. An analysis of the corresponding constraint lines is independent of central tendencies in data and avoids violating parametric assumptions for large data sets where variables of interest account for only a small portion of observed variance. I hypothesize that the intercept between these constraint lines represents the effective ADL, and present physiological and ecological considerations to support this hypothesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Markus Horning
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Marine Mammal Institute, Oregon State UniversityNewport, OR, USA
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12
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Neumeister H, Whitaker KW, Hofmann HA, Preuss T. Social and Ecological Regulation of a Decision-Making Circuit. J Neurophysiol 2010; 104:3180-8. [DOI: 10.1152/jn.00574.2010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Ecological context, sensory inputs, and the internal physiological state are all factors that need to be integrated for an animal to make appropriate behavioral decisions. However, these factors have rarely been studied in the same system. In the African cichlid fish Astatotilapia burtoni, males alternate between two phenotypes based on position in a social hierarchy. When dominant (DOM), fish display bright body coloration and a wealth of aggressive and reproductive behavioral patterns that make them conspicuous to predators. Subordinate (SUB) males, on the other hand, decrease predation risk by adopting cryptic coloration and schooling behavior. We therefore hypothesized that DOMs would show enhanced startle-escape responsiveness to compensate for their increased predation risk. Indeed, behavioral responses to sound clicks of various intensities showed a significantly higher mean startle rate in DOMs compared with SUBs. Electrophysiological recordings from the Mauthner cells (M-cells), the neurons triggering startle, were performed in anesthetized animals and showed larger synaptic responses to sound clicks in DOMs, consistent with the behavioral results. In addition, the inhibitory drive mediated by interneurons (passive hyperpolarizing potential [PHP] cells) presynaptic to the M-cell was significantly reduced in DOMs. Taken together, the results suggest that the likelihood for an escape to occur for a given auditory stimulus is higher in DOMs because of a more excitable M-cell. More broadly, this study provides an integrative explanation of an ecological and social trade-off at the level of an identifiable decision-making neural circuit.
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Affiliation(s)
- H. Neumeister
- Department of Psychology, Hunter College, City University of New York, New York
| | - K. W. Whitaker
- Institute for Neuroscience,
- Army Research Laboratory, Aberdeen Proving Grounds, Maryland
| | - H. A. Hofmann
- Institute for Neuroscience,
- Institute for Cellular and Molecular Biology, and
- Section of Integrative Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas; and
| | - T. Preuss
- Department of Psychology, Hunter College, City University of New York, New York
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14
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Hruska KA, Hinch SG, Healey MC, Patterson DA, Larsson S, Farrell AP. Influences of sex and activity level on physiological changes in individual adult sockeye salmon during rapid senescence. Physiol Biochem Zool 2010; 83:663-76. [PMID: 20482369 DOI: 10.1086/652411] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
A noninvasive biopsy protocol was used to sample plasma and gill tissue in individual sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) during the critical life stage associated with spawning-arrival at a spawning channel through senescence to death several days later. Our main objective was to characterize the physiological changes associated with rapid senescence in terms of the physiological stress/cortisol hypersecretion model and the energy exhaustion model. Salmon lived an average of 5 d in the spawning channel, during which time there were three major physiological trends that were independent of sexual status: a large increase in plasma indicators of stress and exercise (i.e., lactate and cortisol), a decrease in the major plasma ions (i.e., Cl(-) and Na(+)) and osmolality, and a decrease in gross somatic energy reserves. Contrary to a generalized stress response, plasma glucose decreased in approximately 2/3 of the fish after arrival, as opposed to increasing. Furthermore, plasma cortisol levels at spawning-ground arrival were not correlated with the degree of ionoregulatory changes during rapid senescence. One mechanism of mortality in some fish may involve the exhaustion of energy reserves, resulting in the inability to mobilize plasma glucose. Sex had a significant modulating effect on the degree of physiological change. Females exhibited a greater magnitude of change for gross somatic energy, osmolality, and plasma concentrations of Cl(-), Na(+), cortisol, testosterone, 11-ketotestosterone, 17,20beta-progesterone, and estradiol. The activity level of an individual on the spawning grounds appeared to influence the degree of some physiological changes during senescence. For example, males that received a greater frequency of attacks exhibited larger net decreases in plasma 11-ketotestosterone while on the spawning grounds. These results suggest that rapid senescence on spawning grounds is influenced by multiple physiological processes and perhaps behavior. This study provides some of the first data to look at sex differences in senescence in Pacific salmon.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kimberly A Hruska
- Centre for Applied Conservation Research and Department of Forest Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC
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Perspective — Exercise in fish: 50+years and going strong. Comp Biochem Physiol A Mol Integr Physiol 2010; 156:163-8. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2010.02.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2009] [Revised: 02/03/2010] [Accepted: 02/04/2010] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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Eissa BL, Ossana NA, Ferrari L, Salibián A. Quantitative behavioral parameters as toxicity biomarkers: fish responses to waterborne cadmium. ARCHIVES OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONTAMINATION AND TOXICOLOGY 2010; 58:1032-1039. [PMID: 19967392 DOI: 10.1007/s00244-009-9434-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2009] [Accepted: 11/08/2009] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
The disruptive sublethal effects of heavy metals on behavioral parameters of fish as biomarkers of aquatic toxicity have been scarcely studied. We investigated the impact of exposure to sublethal waterborne cadmium on locomotory parameters of three freshwater teleosts: Cyprinus carpio as reference species, and Australoheros facetum (sin. Cichlasoma facetum) and Astyanax fasciatus, native to Pampean ecosystems in Argentina, using a noninvasive bioassay under laboratory conditions. Fish were successively transferred to media containing freshwater (control period), Cd(2+) solutions (exposure period), and freshwater (recovery period). The behavioral biomarkers evaluated were swimming activity and swimming speed of fish. The metal provoked different responses of both parameters after 4-7 days of exposure; the reversibility of changes was also assessed. It was concluded that: (a) locomotion parameters are sensitive endpoints and useful biomarkers in behavioral studies of freshwater toxicity, (b) the applied bioassay could be a valuable tool in water quality monitoring, and (c) the studied species differed in their susceptibility to the toxicant as well as in their capacity to return to basal values.
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Affiliation(s)
- B L Eissa
- Applied Ecophysiology Program, Basic Sciences Department, National University of Lujan, PO Box 221, 6700 Lujan, Argentina
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Gravel MA, Couture P, Cooke S. Brood predation pressure during parental care does not influence parental enzyme activities related to swimming activity in a teleost fish. Comp Biochem Physiol A Mol Integr Physiol 2010; 155:100-6. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2009.10.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2009] [Revised: 10/09/2009] [Accepted: 10/13/2009] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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Child T, Phillips BL, Shine R. Abiotic and biotic influences on the dispersal behavior of metamorph cane toads (Bufo marinus) in tropical Australia. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2008; 309:215-24. [PMID: 18288694 DOI: 10.1002/jez.450] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
A mechanistic understanding of factors influencing the dispersal behavior of metamorph cane toads (Bufo marinus) has direct conservation relevance in Australia. These invasive anurans are toxic to native predators, and if we can predict their distribution across the landscape, we can also predict (and perhaps, manage) the scale of their impact. We propose that the major drivers of metamorph distribution are the risk of dehydration (restricting the young toads to moist substrates near pond margins) and biotic advantages to dispersal away from the pond (especially, less risk of cannibalism). To test this model, we investigated the influence of abiotic and biotic cues on the behavior of individual toads in the laboratory. Substrate moisture levels strongly influenced metamorph activity levels and habitat selection: dry substrates induced most metamorphs to remain near water. The only biotic cue to influence metamorph dispersal was proximity of a larger (cannibalistic) conspecific; a cannibal's presence at the pond margin caused most metamorphs to spend less time there, and as a consequence, to dehydrate more rapidly. Our results suggest that the spatial and temporal distribution of metamorph cane toads reflects a trade-off between competing risks: the danger of desiccation tends to keep young toads close to the pond margin in dry conditions, whereas the danger of cannibalism stimulates dispersal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Travis Child
- School of Biological Sciences A08, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
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The response of the tidepool sculpin, Oligocottus maculosus, to hypoxia in laboratory, mesocosm and field environments. Comp Biochem Physiol A Mol Integr Physiol 2008; 149:284-92. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2008.01.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2007] [Revised: 01/04/2008] [Accepted: 01/05/2008] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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