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Goodale E, Magrath RD. Species diversity and interspecific information flow. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2024; 99:999-1014. [PMID: 38279871 DOI: 10.1111/brv.13055] [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: 08/02/2023] [Revised: 01/14/2024] [Accepted: 01/15/2024] [Indexed: 01/29/2024]
Abstract
Interspecific information flow is known to affect individual fitness, population dynamics and community assembly, but there has been less study of how species diversity affects information flow and thereby ecosystem functioning and services. We address this question by first examining differences among species in the sensitivity, accuracy, transmissibility, detectability and value of the cues and signals they produce, and in how they receive, store and use information derived from heterospecifics. We then review how interspecific information flow occurs in communities, involving a diversity of species and sensory modes, and how this flow can affect ecosystem-level functions, such as decomposition, seed dispersal or algae removal on coral reefs. We highlight evidence that some keystone species are particularly critical as a source of information used by eavesdroppers, and so have a disproportionate effect on information flow. Such keystone species include community informants producing signals, particularly about predation risk, that influence other species' landscapes of fear, and aggregation initiators creating cues or signals about resources. We suggest that the presence of keystone species means that there will likely be a positive relationship in many communities between species diversity and information through a 'sampling effect', in which larger pools of species are more likely to include the keystone species by chance. We then consider whether the number and relative abundance of species, irrespective of the presence of keystone species, matter to interspecific information flow; on this issue, the theory is less developed, and the evidence scant and indirect. Higher diversity could increase the quantity or quality of information that is used by eavesdroppers because redundancy increases the reliability of information or because the species provide complementary information. Alternatively, there could be a lack of a relationship between species diversity and information if there is widespread information parasitism where users are not sources, or if information sourced from heterospecifics is of lower value than that gained personally or sourced from conspecifics. Recent research suggests that species diversity does have information-modulated community and ecosystem consequences, especially in birds, such as the diversity of species at feeders increasing resource exploitation, or the number of imitated species increasing responses to vocal mimics. A first step for future research includes comprehensive observations of information flow among different taxa and habitats. Then studies should investigate whether species diversity influences the cumulative quality or quantity of information at the community level, and consequently ecosystem-level processes. An applied objective is to conserve species in part for their value as sources of information for other species, including for humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eben Goodale
- Department of Health and Environmental Science, Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, Suzhou, 215123, China
| | - Robert D Magrath
- Division of Ecology and Evolution, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 2600, Australia
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2
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Wickramasingha PD, Morrissey CA, Phillips ID, Crane AL, Chivers DP, Ferrari MCO. Sub-lethal effects of the insecticide, imidacloprid, on the responses of damselfly larvae to chemosensory cues indicating predation risk. CHEMOSPHERE 2024; 356:141926. [PMID: 38588895 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2024.141926] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2023] [Revised: 03/26/2024] [Accepted: 04/05/2024] [Indexed: 04/10/2024]
Abstract
Insecticides, including the widely used neonicotinoids, can affect both pest and non-target species. In addition to lethal effects, these insecticides at sub-lethal levels may cause disruption to sensory perception and processing leading to behavioural impairments. In this laboratory experiment, we investigated the effects of a 10-day exposure to the neonicotinoid insecticide, imidacloprid, on the behaviour of larvae of the damselfly, Lestes congener. In tests of baseline activity, imidacloprid concentrations of 1.0 and 10.0 μg/L caused significant reductions in foraging behaviour. Moreover, in response to chemical cues that indicate a potential risk to the larvae, imidacloprid caused the loss of an appropriate antipredator response (reduced foraging) depending on the concentration and duration of exposure. Imidacloprid at 0.1 μg/L caused the loss of responses toward the odour of a beetle (Dytiscus spp.) predator after 10 days of exposure, whereas 1.0 μg/L caused lost responses toward both the predator odour and injured conspecific cues (i.e., alarm cues) and after only 2 days of exposure. However, at 10.0 μg/L, larvae responded appropriately to both cues throughout the duration of the study, suggesting compensatory responses to imidacloprid at higher concentrations. Hence, the lack of appropriate responses at 1.0 μg/L likely resulted from a cognitive impairment rather than chemical alteration of these important chemosensory cues. In the natural environment, such effects will likely cause decreased survivorship in predator encounters. Hence, imidacloprid exposure, even at low concentrations, could have adverse consequences for chemosensory ecology of this damselfly species.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Christy A Morrissey
- Department of Biology, University of Saskatchewan, 112 Science Pl., Saskatoon, SK, S7N 5E2, Canada
| | - Iain D Phillips
- Water Security Agency, 10 - 3904 Miller Ave., Saskatoon, SK, S7P 0B1, Canada
| | - Adam L Crane
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, WCVM, University of Saskatchewan, 52 Campus Dr., Saskatoon, SK, S7N 5B4, Canada.
| | - Douglas P Chivers
- Department of Biology, University of Saskatchewan, 112 Science Pl., Saskatoon, SK, S7N 5E2, Canada
| | - Maud C O Ferrari
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, WCVM, University of Saskatchewan, 52 Campus Dr., Saskatoon, SK, S7N 5B4, Canada
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3
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Wickramasingha PD, Morrissey CA, Phillips ID, Crane AL, Ferrari MCO, Chivers DP. Exposure to the insecticide, imidacloprid, impairs predator-recognition learning in damselfly larvae. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2024; 342:123085. [PMID: 38072015 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2023.123085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2023] [Revised: 11/07/2023] [Accepted: 12/01/2023] [Indexed: 01/26/2024]
Abstract
Many aquatic organisms use chemosensory information to learn about local predation threats, but contaminants in their environment may impair such cognitive processes. Neonicotinoids are a class of water-soluble systemic insecticides that have become a major concern in aquatic systems. In this study, we explored how a 10-day exposure to various concentrations (0, 0.1, 1.0, or 10.0 μg/L) of the neonicotinoid imidacloprid affects the learned recognition of predator odour by non-target damselfly larvae (Lestes spp). Unexposed larvae and those exposed to the low concentration (0.1 μg/L) demonstrated an appropriate learned response to a novel predator odour following a conditioning with the odour paired with chemical alarm cues. However, such learning failed to occur for larvae that were exposed to imidacloprid concentrations of 1.0 and 10.0 μg/L. Thus, either the cognitive processing of the chemical information was impaired or the chemistry of one or both of the conditioning cues was altered, making them ineffective for learning. In a second experiment, we found evidence for this latter hypothesis. In the absence of background imidacloprid exposure, larvae did not show significant learned responses to the predator odour when the conditioning cues were mixed with imidacloprid (initial pulse solution of 3.0 μg/L) at the start of conditioning (reaching a final concentration of 0.01 μg/L). These findings indicate that even low levels of imidacloprid can have important implications for chemosensory cognition of non-target species in aquatic environments.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Christy A Morrissey
- Department of Biology, University of Saskatchewan, 112 Science Pl., Saskatoon, SK, S7N 5E2, Canada
| | - Iain D Phillips
- Water Security Agency, 10 - 3904 Miller Ave., Saskatoon, SK, S7P 0B1, Canada
| | - Adam L Crane
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, WCVM, University of Saskatchewan, 52 Campus Dr., Saskatoon, SK, S7N 5B4, Canada.
| | - Maud C O Ferrari
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, WCVM, University of Saskatchewan, 52 Campus Dr., Saskatoon, SK, S7N 5B4, Canada
| | - Douglas P Chivers
- Department of Biology, University of Saskatchewan, 112 Science Pl., Saskatoon, SK, S7N 5E2, Canada
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4
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Wisenden BD, Anderson CM, Hanson KA, Johnson MIM, Stockwell CA. Acquired predator recognition via epidermal alarm cues but not dietary alarm cues by isolated pupfish. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2023; 10:230444. [PMID: 37711143 PMCID: PMC10498034 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.230444] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2023] [Accepted: 08/21/2023] [Indexed: 09/16/2023]
Abstract
We tested whether Shoshone pupfish Cyprinodon nevadensis shoshone and Amargosa River pupfish C. n. amargosae respond behaviourally to conspecific chemical alarm cues released when epidermal tissue is damaged by a predator. We found that both subspecies reduced activity and vertical position in the water column in response to alarm cues. We then tested if pupfish can use alarm cue to acquire recognition of a novel predator. We trained pupfish with (1) water + odour of largemouth bass fed a diet of earthworms, (2) alarm cues from skin extract (epidermal alarm cues) + odour of bass fed a diet of earthworms, or (3) water + odour of bass fed a diet of pupfish (dietary alarm cues). Pupfish responded to epidermal alarm cues but not to dietary alarm cues. Pupfish were retested with the odour of bass that were fed an earthworm diet. Pupfish that had previously received epidermal alarm cues reduced vertical position and activity relative to the other two treatments. This is the first demonstration of acquired recognition of a novel predator by a pupfish, the first report of partial predator naiveté, and opens the possibility of predator-recognition training as a tool for management and conservation of endangered desert fishes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian D. Wisenden
- Biosciences Department, Minnesota State University Moorhead, Moorhead, MN 56563, USA
| | - Cody M. Anderson
- Environmental & Conservation Sciences Graduate Program, North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND 58108, USA
| | - Kathryn A. Hanson
- Biosciences Department, Minnesota State University Moorhead, Moorhead, MN 56563, USA
| | - Molly I. M. Johnson
- Biosciences Department, Minnesota State University Moorhead, Moorhead, MN 56563, USA
- Environmental & Conservation Sciences Graduate Program, North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND 58108, USA
| | - Craig A. Stockwell
- Biological Sciences Department, North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND 58108, USA
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Hasegawa K, Fukui S. Pulsed supplies of small fish facilitate time-limited intraguild predation in salmon-stocked streams. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2022; 9:220127. [PMID: 36147937 PMCID: PMC9490334 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.220127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2022] [Accepted: 09/06/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Pulsed supplies of prey generally increase predator food intake. However, it is unclear whether this holds true when predators and pulsed prey are in the same guild (i.e. intraguild (IG) predators and prey). IG prey may increase IG-predator food intake through predation, but they may decrease food intake through competition. To test these hypotheses, we compared the food intake of white-spotted charr (Salvelinus leucomaenis) (IG predator) in streams that were stocked or unstocked with masu salmon (Oncorhynchus masou) fry (IG prey) in streams in Hokkaido, Japan. One day after stocking, mean stomach content weight of charr was six times higher than in unstocked streams due to fry consumption. In particular, large charr showed intense piscivory. However, predation on fry was rare after about three weeks. Some factors that could explain this time-limited IG predation include the growth and decreasing abundance of fry over time and the acquisition of predator-avoidance behaviour. In days other than the first-day post-stocking, food intake by charr did not differ between stocked and unstocked streams. No effects of interspecific competition on charr food intake were observed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Koh Hasegawa
- Salmon Research Department, Fisheries Resources Institute, Japan Fisheries Research and Education Agency, Nakanoshima, Toyohira, Sapporo, Hokkaido 062-0922, Japan
| | - Sho Fukui
- Salmon Research Department, Fisheries Resources Institute, Japan Fisheries Research and Education Agency, Nakanoshima, Toyohira, Sapporo, Hokkaido 062-0922, Japan
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Stockwell CA, Schmelzer MR, Gillis BE, Anderson CM, Wisenden BD. Ignorance is not bliss: evolutionary naiveté in an endangered desert fish and implications for conservation. Proc Biol Sci 2022; 289:20220752. [PMID: 35975438 PMCID: PMC9386569 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2022.0752] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Predator naiveté has been invoked to explain the impacts of non-native predators on isolated populations that evolved with limited predation. Such impacts have been repeatedly observed for the endangered Pahrump poolfish, Empetrichthys latos, a desert fish species that evolved in isolation since the end of the Pleistocene. We tested Pahrump poolfish anti-predator responses to conspecific chemical alarm cues released from damaged epidermal tissue in terms of fish activity and water column position. Pahrump poolfish behavioural responses to conspecific alarm cues did not differ from responses to a dechlorinated tap water control. As a positive control, the well-studied fathead minnow, Pimephales promelas, showed significant alarm cue responses in terms of reduced activity and lowered water column position. The density of epidermal club cells, the presumptive source of alarm cues, was significantly lower in Pahrump poolfish relative to fathead minnows. Therefore, anti-predator competence mediated by conspecific alarm cues does not seem to be a component of the ecology of Pahrump poolfish. These findings provide a proximate mechanism for the vulnerability of Pahrump poolfish to non-native predators, with implications for the conservation and management of insular species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Craig A Stockwell
- Department of Biological Sciences, Environmental and Conservation Sciences Program, North Dakota State University, PO Box 6050, Fargo, ND 58108, USA
| | - Madison R Schmelzer
- Department of Biological Sciences, Environmental and Conservation Sciences Program, North Dakota State University, PO Box 6050, Fargo, ND 58108, USA
| | - Bailey E Gillis
- Department of Biological Sciences, Environmental and Conservation Sciences Program, North Dakota State University, PO Box 6050, Fargo, ND 58108, USA
| | - Cody M Anderson
- Department of Biological Sciences, Environmental and Conservation Sciences Program, North Dakota State University, PO Box 6050, Fargo, ND 58108, USA
| | - Brian D Wisenden
- Biosciences Department, Minnesota State University Moorhead, 1104 7th Avenue South, Moorhead, MN 56563, USA
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Rivera-Hernández IAE, Crane AL, Pollock MS, Ferrari MCO. Disturbance cues function as a background risk cue but not as an associative learning cue in tadpoles. Anim Cogn 2022; 25:881-889. [PMID: 35099624 DOI: 10.1007/s10071-022-01599-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2021] [Revised: 12/16/2021] [Accepted: 01/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
Abstract
Chemical information has an important role in the sensory ecology of aquatic species. For aquatic prey, chemical cues are a vital source of information related to predator avoidance and risk assessment. For instance, alarm cues are released by prey that have been injured by predators. In addition to providing accurate information about current risk, repeated exposure to alarm cues can elicit a fear response to novel stimuli (neophobia) in prey. Another source of chemical information is disturbance cues, released by prey that have been disturbed or harassed (but not injured) by a predator. While disturbance cues have received much less attention than alarm cues, they appear to be useful as an early warning signal of predation risk and have the potential to be used as a priming cue for learning. In this study, we used wood frog (Lithobates sylvaticus) tadpoles to test whether repeated exposure to disturbance cues during the embryonic stage can induce neophobic behaviour. Three weeks following repeated exposure to disturbance cues, tadpoles showed reduced activity when exposed to a novel odour, but they no longer displayed an antipredator response to disturbance cues. In a second experiment, we found that tadpoles failed to learn that a novel odour was dangerous following a pairing with disturbance cues, whereas alarm cues facilitated such learning. Our results add to the growing body of information about disturbance cues and provide evidence of their function as an embryonic risk cue but not as an associative learning cue.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ita A E Rivera-Hernández
- Department of Biology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada. .,Instituto de Neuroetología, Universidad Veracruzana, VER, Xalapa-Enríquez, Mexico.
| | - Adam L Crane
- Department of Biology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada.,Department of Biology, Concordia University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Michael S Pollock
- Biomedical Sciences, WCVM, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada
| | - Maud C O Ferrari
- Biomedical Sciences, WCVM, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada
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Gebauer T, Gebauer R, Císař P, Tran HQ, Tomášek O, Podhorec P, Prokešová M, Rebl A, Stejskal V. The Effect of Different Feeding Applications on the Swimming Behaviour of Siberian Sturgeon: A Method for Improving Restocking Programmes. BIOLOGY 2021; 10:biology10111162. [PMID: 34827155 PMCID: PMC8614938 DOI: 10.3390/biology10111162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2021] [Revised: 11/05/2021] [Accepted: 11/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Restocking programmes of different fish species have been implemented worldwide. However, the survival of hatchery-reared fish after release to riverine ecosystems is at a very low level. One of the reasons for the high mortality rate of post-released fish is their modified swimming behaviour due to the hatchery rearing practice. To investigate one of the possible causes for modified swimming behaviour, Acipenser baerii larvae were exposed to surface- and bottom-feeding applications with day and night light regimes in a factorial design. We also analysed the effect of 5 and 10 days of starvation after different feeding applications on sturgeon swimming behaviour. The surface-feeding application was previously expected to promote the frequent Siberian sturgeon swim up to the mid- and top-water layers in our rearing facilities. However, our results indicated that the modified behaviour of the Siberian sturgeon in our study was caused by fish starvation and a possible predator-free environment rather than by the method of feed application or the day/night light regimes. These results may be used to improve the implementation of restocking programmes either through modified hatchery rearing practice or the training of foraging skills with predator stimuli.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tatyana Gebauer
- South Bohemian Research Center of Aquaculture and Biodiversity of Hydrocenoses, Faculty of Fisheries and Protection of Waters, Institute of Aquaculture and Protection of Waters, University of South Bohemia in Ceske Budejovice, Husova tř. 458/102, 370 05 České Budějovice, Czech Republic; (R.G.); (H.Q.T.); (O.T.); (P.P.); (M.P.); (V.S.)
- Institute of Genome Biology, Research Institute for Farm Animal Biology (FBN), Wilhelm-Stahl-Allee 2, 18196 Dummerstorf, Germany
- Correspondence: (T.G.); (A.R.)
| | - Radek Gebauer
- South Bohemian Research Center of Aquaculture and Biodiversity of Hydrocenoses, Faculty of Fisheries and Protection of Waters, Institute of Aquaculture and Protection of Waters, University of South Bohemia in Ceske Budejovice, Husova tř. 458/102, 370 05 České Budějovice, Czech Republic; (R.G.); (H.Q.T.); (O.T.); (P.P.); (M.P.); (V.S.)
| | - Petr Císař
- Laboratory of Signal and Image Processing, Institute of Complex Systems, Faculty of Fisheries and Protection of Waters, CENAKVA, University of South Bohemia in Ceske Budejovice, Zámek 136, 373 33 Nové Hrady, Czech Republic;
| | - Hung Quang Tran
- South Bohemian Research Center of Aquaculture and Biodiversity of Hydrocenoses, Faculty of Fisheries and Protection of Waters, Institute of Aquaculture and Protection of Waters, University of South Bohemia in Ceske Budejovice, Husova tř. 458/102, 370 05 České Budějovice, Czech Republic; (R.G.); (H.Q.T.); (O.T.); (P.P.); (M.P.); (V.S.)
| | - Ondřej Tomášek
- South Bohemian Research Center of Aquaculture and Biodiversity of Hydrocenoses, Faculty of Fisheries and Protection of Waters, Institute of Aquaculture and Protection of Waters, University of South Bohemia in Ceske Budejovice, Husova tř. 458/102, 370 05 České Budějovice, Czech Republic; (R.G.); (H.Q.T.); (O.T.); (P.P.); (M.P.); (V.S.)
| | - Peter Podhorec
- South Bohemian Research Center of Aquaculture and Biodiversity of Hydrocenoses, Faculty of Fisheries and Protection of Waters, Institute of Aquaculture and Protection of Waters, University of South Bohemia in Ceske Budejovice, Husova tř. 458/102, 370 05 České Budějovice, Czech Republic; (R.G.); (H.Q.T.); (O.T.); (P.P.); (M.P.); (V.S.)
| | - Markéta Prokešová
- South Bohemian Research Center of Aquaculture and Biodiversity of Hydrocenoses, Faculty of Fisheries and Protection of Waters, Institute of Aquaculture and Protection of Waters, University of South Bohemia in Ceske Budejovice, Husova tř. 458/102, 370 05 České Budějovice, Czech Republic; (R.G.); (H.Q.T.); (O.T.); (P.P.); (M.P.); (V.S.)
| | - Alexander Rebl
- Institute of Genome Biology, Research Institute for Farm Animal Biology (FBN), Wilhelm-Stahl-Allee 2, 18196 Dummerstorf, Germany
- Correspondence: (T.G.); (A.R.)
| | - Vlastimil Stejskal
- South Bohemian Research Center of Aquaculture and Biodiversity of Hydrocenoses, Faculty of Fisheries and Protection of Waters, Institute of Aquaculture and Protection of Waters, University of South Bohemia in Ceske Budejovice, Husova tř. 458/102, 370 05 České Budějovice, Czech Republic; (R.G.); (H.Q.T.); (O.T.); (P.P.); (M.P.); (V.S.)
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González-Ortega C, Mesa-Avila G, Suárez-Rancel M, Rodríguez-Domínguez MA, Molina-Borja M. Daily running trials increase sprint speed in endangered lizards (Gallotia simonyi). Behav Processes 2021; 193:104509. [PMID: 34547378 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2021.104509] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2021] [Revised: 09/06/2021] [Accepted: 09/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Due to increasing number of animal species in danger of extinction, captive breeding of individuals has become a necessary procedure for many recovery programs. As specimens born and raised in captivity during several generations may not develop some behavioral and performance aptitudes properly, several types of training are useful to apply before releasing them into the wild. We present here the results of experiments aiming to detect the effect of daily running trials in young males of the endangered lizard (Gallotia simonyi) from El Hierro (Canary Islands). We made individuals run in a racetrack twice every day, for five days a week between the end of July and the end of September. We filmed all running trials and calculated running speed for each individual dividing the distance run by the time used. Running speed did not correlate with body condition of the lizards but there was variation in running speeds of some individuals with similar body conditions. Running speed of lizards used in the experiments significantly increased along the whole trial period. By contrast, mean running speed did not change significantly in a control group, participating twice in running trials, one at the beginning and the other at the end of the experimental period. From these results we suggest that locomotor training contributed to increasing final running speeds of experimental lizards.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claribel González-Ortega
- Centro para la Reproducción e Investigación del lagarto gigante de El Hierro, Frontera, El Hierro, Canary Islands, Spain
| | - Gara Mesa-Avila
- Grupo Etología y Ecología del Comportamiento, Depto. Biología Animal, Fac. Ciencias, Sección Biología, Univ. La Laguna, Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain
| | - Mercedes Suárez-Rancel
- Depto. De Matemáticas, Estadística e Investigación Operativa, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de La Laguna, Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain
| | - Miguel A Rodríguez-Domínguez
- Centro para la Reproducción e Investigación del lagarto gigante de El Hierro, Frontera, El Hierro, Canary Islands, Spain
| | - Miguel Molina-Borja
- Grupo Etología y Ecología del Comportamiento, Depto. Biología Animal, Fac. Ciencias, Sección Biología, Univ. La Laguna, Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain.
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10
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Horn ME, Chivers DP. Embryonic exposure to predation risk and hatch time variation in fathead minnows. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0255961. [PMID: 34383830 PMCID: PMC8360370 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0255961] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2021] [Accepted: 07/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Organisms are exposed to a wealth of chemical information during their development. Some of these chemical cues indicate present or future dangers, such as the presence of predators that feed on either the developing embryos or their nearby parents. Organisms may use this information to modify their morphology or life-history, including hatching timing, or may retain information about risk until it gains relevance. Previous research has shown predation-induced alterations in hatching among embryonic minnows that were exposed to mechanical-injury-released alarm cues from conspecific embryos. Here, we test whether minnows likewise hatch early in response to alarm cues from injured adult conspecifics. We know that embryonic minnows can detect adult alarm cues and use them to facilitate learned recognition of predators; however, it is unknown whether these adult alarm cues will also induce a change in hatching time. Early hatching may allow animals to rapidly disperse away from potential predators, but late hatching may allow animals to grow and develop structures that allow them to effectively escape when they do hatch. Here, we found here that unlike embryonic fathead minnows (Pimephales promelas) exposed to embryonic cues, embryonic minnows exposed to adult alarm cues do not exhibit early hatching. The ability of embryos to recognize adult alarm cues as a future threat, but not a current one, demonstrates sophisticated ontogenetic specificity in the hatching response of embryonic minnows.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marianna E. Horn
- Department of Biology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada
- * E-mail:
| | - Douglas P. Chivers
- Department of Biology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada
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11
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Seigel AR, DeVriendt IG, Hohenstein SJ, Lueders MB, Shastri A, Wisenden BD. Tone deaf: Association of an auditory stimulus with predation risk by zebrafish Danio rerio does not generalize to another auditory stimulus. Behav Processes 2021; 189:104421. [PMID: 33992740 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2021.104421] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2020] [Accepted: 05/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Predator recognition by small fishes can be acquired when chemical alarm cues released from damaged skin (by a predator attack) are paired with a novel stimulus, such as the appearance or odor of a predator. Once learned, fish can extend recognition of risk by generalizing to associate risk with additional stimuli that are similar to the conditioned novel stimulus. Here, we trained zebrafish to associate a novel auditory stimulus with predation risk, and then tested to see if they generalize risk to all sound stimuli or whether the conditioned response is limited to the sound frequency of the conditioning stimulus. We found that zebrafish Danio rerio readily associated risk of predation with Tone 1 (285 Hz), as evidenced by reduction in activity, increased time spent near the substratum and increased shelter use, but fish conditioned to fear Tone 1 completely ignored presentation of a second tone of 762 Hz. These data suggest that generalization does not occur as easily for auditory cues as they do for olfactory and visual cues, perhaps due to differences in the properties of sensory biology or the cognitive mechanisms that process information in different sensory modalities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alex R Seigel
- Biosciences Department, Minnesota State University Moorhead, United States
| | | | | | - Mark B Lueders
- Biosciences Department, Minnesota State University Moorhead, United States
| | - Ananda Shastri
- Biosciences Department, Minnesota State University Moorhead, United States
| | - Brian D Wisenden
- Biosciences Department, Minnesota State University Moorhead, United States.
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12
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Lau MJ, Wilson CC, Neff BD. Innate and learned predator recognition across populations of Atlantic salmon,
Salmo salar. Ethology 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.13163] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Malcolm J. Lau
- Department of Biology Western University London ON Canada
| | - Chris C. Wilson
- Aquatic Research and Monitoring Section Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry Trent University Peterborough ON Canada
| | - Bryan D. Neff
- Department of Biology Western University London ON Canada
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13
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Edwards MC, Ford C, Hoy JM, FitzGibbon S, Murray PJ. How to train your wildlife: A review of predator avoidance training. Appl Anim Behav Sci 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2020.105170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
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14
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Fan C, Zhang Y. Visual Cues Have a More Extensive Effect on Topmouth Gudgeon ( Pseudorasbora parva) than Chemosensory Cues in Identifying Novel Predators. Zoolog Sci 2020; 37:505-511. [PMID: 33269865 DOI: 10.2108/zs200062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2020] [Accepted: 07/08/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Through population expansion and accidental or deliberate introduction, prey commonly encounter novel predators they had never seen before. Several studies have shown that animals can generalize their learned recognition of a familiar predator to novel ones according to predators' identical or similar features. This process in fish mainly depends on the visual and chemosensory cues they receive. However, there is a lack of understanding of the different effects of these two cues. Topmouth gudgeons (Pseudorasbora parva) that had never seen turtles were captured and used as the subjects, and three freshwater turtles of different genera were used as predators. Before and after using one turtle for predator training treatment of topmouth gudgeons, fish responses to visual and chemosensory cues of each turtle were tested and recorded, and it was found that predator training promoted topmouth gudgeons' recognition of the risks represented by visual cues of all three turtles and by chemosensory cues of the turtle that were used in training. These results further verify the generalization of predator recognition in fish and indicate that visual cues have a more extensive effect on fish than chemosensory cues in identifying novel predators, especially predators that are distantly related to the familiar threats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chao Fan
- Key Laboratory of Adaptation and Evolution of Plateau Biota, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining 810008, China.,Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining 810008, China,
| | - Yanming Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Adaptation and Evolution of Plateau Biota, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining 810008, China.,Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining 810008, China,
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15
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Daphnia magna responses to fish kairomone and chlorpromazine exposures. Chem Biol Interact 2020; 325:109123. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cbi.2020.109123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2020] [Revised: 04/23/2020] [Accepted: 04/29/2020] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
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16
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Gosavi SM, Tapkir SD, Kumkar P, Verma CR, Kharat SS. Act now before its too late: Copper exposure drives chemo-ecology of predator-prey dynamics of freshwater common spiny loach, Lepidocephalichthys thermalis (Valenciennes, 1846). ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2020; 186:109509. [PMID: 32311527 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2020.109509] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2020] [Revised: 04/07/2020] [Accepted: 04/08/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Due to the extensive use of copper (Cu) in various commercial products, its existence in aquatic bodies (freshwater and marine) is not unusual. Cu is well known for its effect on the olfactory physiology of fish. However, there are limited studies on the effect of Cu on important ecological functions in fish (predator-prey dynamics) that are primarily influenced by olfaction. In a series of experiments, we studied the effect of Cu exposure on the chemoreceptive behavior of the prey fish, Lepidocephalichthys thermalis. Prey fishes were exposed to an environmentally relevant concentration (5 μg/L) of Cu for 3 h and the anti-predator responses against native (Channa gachua) and alien predatory fish (tilapia) were quantified using an ethological assay. Cu exposed prey fishes did not recognize the native predator and had a lower survival rate than control (unexposed) fishes in predation trials. Cu exposed prey fishes have failed to learn associatively to detect a non-native predator resulting in higher mortality in prey population in direct encounters with tilapia. However, such a lack of predator recognition was found to be short-term and the treated prey fishes recovered anti-predator responses within 72 h. In addition, Cu inactivated the alarm cue which acts as a signal for the presence of predators and ensures associative learning and therefore it was considered to be an 'info-disruptor' in the present study. These outcomes together demonstrate that even at low concentration, Cu influences ecological decisions and survival against predators. Owing to the ubiquitous occurrence of Cu in water bodies, the present investigation will contribute to the knowledge of how environmental stressors alter the crucial ecological decisions of prey individuals in aquatic ecosystems. In addition, we suggest that freshwater reservoirs containing high levels of Cu could be unsuitable for the long-term survival of prey fishes and freshwater biodiversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sachin M Gosavi
- Department of Zoology, Maharashtra College of Arts, Science and Commerce, 246-A, J.B.B. Road, Mumbai, Maharashtra, 400 008, India.
| | - Sandip D Tapkir
- Department of Zoology, Savitribai Phule Pune University, Ganeshkhind, Pune, Maharashtra, 411 007, India; Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Hydrobiology, České Budêjovice, Czech Republic
| | - Pradeep Kumkar
- Department of Zoology and Fisheries, Faculty of Agrobiology, Food, and Natural Resources, Czech University of Life Science Prague, Czech Republic; Department of Zoology, Modern College of Arts, Science and Commerce, Ganeshkhind, Pune, Maharashtra, 411 016, India
| | - Chandani R Verma
- Department of Zoology, Modern College of Arts, Science and Commerce, Ganeshkhind, Pune, Maharashtra, 411 016, India
| | - Sanjay S Kharat
- Department of Zoology, Modern College of Arts, Science and Commerce, Ganeshkhind, Pune, Maharashtra, 411 016, India
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17
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Díaz-Gil C, Alós J, Arechavala-Lopez P, Palmer M, Riera-Batle I, Grau A, Catalán IA. Reversible morphological changes in a juvenile marine fish after exposure to predatory alarm cues. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2020; 7:191945. [PMID: 32537199 PMCID: PMC7277257 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.191945] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2019] [Accepted: 04/20/2020] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
Chemical cues from predators induce a range of predator-induced morphological defences (PIMDs) observed across fish taxa. However, the mechanisms, consistency, direction and adaptive value of PIMDs are still poorly studied. Here, we have tested if predatory cues can induce changes in the body shape of the juvenile marine fish Sparus aurata reared under controlled conditions without the presence of predators by exposing individuals to the olfactory stimulus of a fish predator. We tested our hypothesis using a nested replicated before-after-control-impact experiment, including recovery (potential reversibility) after the cessation of the predator stimulus. Differences in the size-independent body shape were explored using landmark-based geometric morphometrics and revealed that, on average, individuals exposed to a predatory cue presented deeper bodies and longer caudal regions, according to our adaptive theoretical predictions. These average plastic responses were reversible after withdrawal of the stimulus and individuals returned to average body shapes. We, therefore, provide evidence supporting innate reversible PIMDs in marine naive fish reared under controlled conditions. The effects at the individual level, including fitness and the associated applied implications, deserve further research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos Díaz-Gil
- Laboratori d'Investigacions Marines i Aqüicultura, LIMIA (Balearic Government), C/Eng. Gabriel Roca 69, 07157, Port d'Andratx, Illes Balears, Spain
- Instituto Mediterráneo de Estudios Avanzados, IMEDEA (CSIC-UIB), C/Miquel Marqués 21, 07190, Esporles, Illes Balears, Spain
- Instituto de Investigaciones Agroambientales y de Economía del Agua, INAGEA (INIA, Govern Balear-UIB), Carretera de Valdemossa km 7.5, 07122, Palma, Illes Balears, Spain
| | - Josep Alós
- Instituto Mediterráneo de Estudios Avanzados, IMEDEA (CSIC-UIB), C/Miquel Marqués 21, 07190, Esporles, Illes Balears, Spain
| | - Pablo Arechavala-Lopez
- Instituto Mediterráneo de Estudios Avanzados, IMEDEA (CSIC-UIB), C/Miquel Marqués 21, 07190, Esporles, Illes Balears, Spain
| | - Miquel Palmer
- Instituto Mediterráneo de Estudios Avanzados, IMEDEA (CSIC-UIB), C/Miquel Marqués 21, 07190, Esporles, Illes Balears, Spain
| | - Inmaculada Riera-Batle
- Laboratori d'Investigacions Marines i Aqüicultura, LIMIA (Balearic Government), C/Eng. Gabriel Roca 69, 07157, Port d'Andratx, Illes Balears, Spain
- Instituto Mediterráneo de Estudios Avanzados, IMEDEA (CSIC-UIB), C/Miquel Marqués 21, 07190, Esporles, Illes Balears, Spain
| | - Amalia Grau
- Laboratori d'Investigacions Marines i Aqüicultura, LIMIA (Balearic Government), C/Eng. Gabriel Roca 69, 07157, Port d'Andratx, Illes Balears, Spain
- Instituto de Investigaciones Agroambientales y de Economía del Agua, INAGEA (INIA, Govern Balear-UIB), Carretera de Valdemossa km 7.5, 07122, Palma, Illes Balears, Spain
| | - Ignacio A. Catalán
- Instituto Mediterráneo de Estudios Avanzados, IMEDEA (CSIC-UIB), C/Miquel Marqués 21, 07190, Esporles, Illes Balears, Spain
- Author for correspondence: Ignacio A. Catalán e-mail:
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18
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19
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Horn ME, Ferrari MCO, Chivers DP. Retention of learned predator recognition in embryonic and juvenile rainbow trout. Behav Ecol 2019. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arz116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Minimizing predation risk, especially for young or naïve individuals, can be achieved by learning to recognize predators. Embryonic learning may optimize survival by allowing for the earliest possible response to predation threats posthatch. However, predatory threats often change over an individual’s lifetime, and using old information can be detrimental if it becomes outdated. Adaptive forgetting allows an individual to discount obsolete information in decision-making and instead emphasize newer, more relevant information when responding to predation threats. Little is known about the extent to which young individuals can learn and forget information about predation threats. Here we demonstrate that rainbow trout 1) are capable of learning from both conspecific and heterospecific alarm cues as embryos, newly hatched larvae, and free-swimming larvae, 2) exhibit adaptive forgetting of predator information at all stages, and 3) display dynamic adaptive forgetting based on the ontogeny of learning. Specifically, fish that learned information as embryos retained the information for longer periods than those that learned the same information as newly hatched alevins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marianna E Horn
- Department of Biology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada
| | - Maud C O Ferrari
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, WCVM, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
| | - Douglas P Chivers
- Department of Biology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada
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20
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Bedoya-Pérez MA, Smith KL, Kevin RC, Luo JL, Crowther MS, McGregor IS. Parameters That Affect Fear Responses in Rodents and How to Use Them for Management. Front Ecol Evol 2019. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2019.00136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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21
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DNA Methylation Patterns in the Round Goby Hypothalamus Support an On-The-Spot Decision Scenario for Territorial Behavior. Genes (Basel) 2019; 10:genes10030219. [PMID: 30875862 PMCID: PMC6471186 DOI: 10.3390/genes10030219] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2019] [Revised: 02/26/2019] [Accepted: 03/01/2019] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
The question as to how early life experiences are stored on a molecular level and affect traits later in life is highly topical in ecology, medicine, and epigenetics. In this study, we use a fish model to investigate whether DNA methylation mediates early life experiences and predetermines a territorial male reproductive phenotype. In fish, adult reproductive phenotypes frequently depend on previous life experiences and are often associated with distinct morphological traits. DNA methylation is an epigenetic mechanism which is both sensitive to environmental conditions and stably inherited across cell divisions. We therefore investigate early life predisposition in the round goby Neogobius melanostomus by growth back-calculations and then study DNA methylation by MBD-Seq in the brain region controlling vertebrate reproductive behavior, the hypothalamus. We find a link between the territorial reproductive phenotype and high growth rates in the first year of life. However, hypothalamic DNA methylation patterns reflect the current behavioral status independently of early life experiences. Together, our data suggest a non-predetermination scenario in the round goby, in which indeterminate males progress to a non-territorial status in the spawning season, and in which some males then assume a specialized territorial phenotype if current conditions are favorable.
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22
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Mensch EL, Kronenberger JA, Broder ED, Fitzpatrick SW, Funk WC, Angeloni LM. A potential role for immigrant reproductive behavior in the outcome of population augmentations. Anim Conserv 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/acv.12486] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- E. L. Mensch
- Department of Biology Colorado State University Fort Collins CO USA
| | - J. A. Kronenberger
- Department of Biology Colorado State University Fort Collins CO USA
- Graduate Degree Program in Ecology Colorado State University Fort Collins CO USA
| | - E. D. Broder
- Department of Biology Colorado State University Fort Collins CO USA
- Biology Department St. Ambrose University Davenport IA USA
| | - S. W. Fitzpatrick
- W.K. Kellogg Biological Station Department of Integrative Biology Michigan State University Hickory Corners MI USA
| | - W. C. Funk
- Department of Biology Colorado State University Fort Collins CO USA
- Graduate Degree Program in Ecology Colorado State University Fort Collins CO USA
| | - L. M. Angeloni
- Department of Biology Colorado State University Fort Collins CO USA
- Graduate Degree Program in Ecology Colorado State University Fort Collins CO USA
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23
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De Grande FR, Cannicci S, Costa TM. Can fiddler crabs detect underwater predators? A laboratory test with Leptuca thayeri. ETHOL ECOL EVOL 2019. [DOI: 10.1080/03949370.2018.1503196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Fernando Rafael De Grande
- Postgraduate Program in Biological Sciences (Zoology), Botucatu Biosciences Institute, São Paulo State University – UNESP, 18618-000 Botucatu, SP, Brazil
| | - Stefano Cannicci
- The Swire Institute of Marine Science and School of Biological Sciences, University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR
- Department of Biology, University of Florence, Via Madonna del Piano 6, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino (Florence), Italy
| | - Tânia Marcia Costa
- Postgraduate Program in Biological Sciences (Zoology), Botucatu Biosciences Institute, São Paulo State University – UNESP, 18618-000 Botucatu, SP, Brazil
- Laboratory of Ecology and Animal Behavior, Coastal Campus, Biosciences Institute, São Paulo State University – UNESP, 11330-900 São Vicente, SP, Brazil
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24
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Farnsley S, Kuhajda B, George A, Klug H. Learning to Overcome a Lack of Evolutionary History: Can an Endangered Fish Learn to Fear an Introduced Predator? Front Ecol Evol 2018. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2018.00214] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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25
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Predator avoidance training of the endangered lizard from El Hierro (Canary Islands): A new management strategy before reintroduction into the wild. Behav Processes 2018; 157:192-198. [PMID: 30273754 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2018.09.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2018] [Revised: 09/17/2018] [Accepted: 09/25/2018] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Animals raised in captivity during several generations may not express appropriate antipredator behaviour when reintroduced into the wild. Here we present the results of experiments to enhance behavioural responses to predators in adult males of the endangered lizard Gallotia simonyi (El Hierro, Canary Islands). Individuals were subjected to a training procedure (control, pre-training, training and post-training phases) using stuffed specimens of a kestrel and a cat as predators. We filmed all trials and compared relative durations of the more common behaviour patterns shown by lizards, both among experimental phases and before and after presentation of the stuffed predator. Locomotion and Basking were significantly reduced in the training and post-training trials and also after stimulus presentation, suggesting that the training protocol induced lizard avoidance over both predator models. To our knowledge, this is the first time lizards have been trained to show antipredator avoidance and our results provide the basis for a new management strategy that could be useful for reintroduction of captive-bred individuals of endangered species.
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26
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Hernández MC, Navarro-Castilla Á, Planillo A, Sánchez-González B, Barja I. The landscape of fear: Why some free-ranging rodents choose repeated live-trapping over predation risk and how it is associated with the physiological stress response. Behav Processes 2018; 157:125-132. [PMID: 30266620 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2018.09.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2018] [Revised: 09/17/2018] [Accepted: 09/21/2018] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Live trapping is an essential element of field ecological studies. However, the act of trapping provides two types of conditional benefits (food from the bait when hungry, and refuge from a predator when threatened) against one type of drawback (confinement). Our understanding of how animals assess the two benefits against the lone risk determines how we interpret classic field studies in chemical ecology and wildlife management. Here, we studied wood mice responses to these risks and rewards of field trapping by examining experience through recapture and faecal corticosterone metabolites (FCM) as a physiological response indicator. Wood mice were live-trapped in two different plots subjected to two distinct phases: phase 1, absence of predator cues, and phase 2, in which traps were treated with red fox faeces. During phase 1, the recapture percentage was lower indicating that mice avoided traps while FCM levels in recaptured mice were higher. On the contrary, during phase 2, despite the total number of captures was lower we found an increase in the recapture percentage and FCM levels did not increase in recaptured mice. Our results suggest that under increased risk perception traps could be likely considered as a suitable shelter and thus, for some individuals the benefits of traps may outweigh their risks. In addition, we discovered that the effects of combining two stressors do not result in the addition of the response originated by each factor separately.
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Affiliation(s)
- M C Hernández
- Department of Biology, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, C/ Darwin 2, Campus Universitario de Cantoblanco, 28049, Madrid, Spain.
| | - Á Navarro-Castilla
- Department of Biology, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, C/ Darwin 2, Campus Universitario de Cantoblanco, 28049, Madrid, Spain
| | - A Planillo
- Terrestrial Ecology Group (TEG), Department of Ecology, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, C. Darwin 2, 28049, Cantoblanco, Madrid, Spain; Department of Ecological Dynamics, Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (IZW), Alfred-Kowalke-Straße 17, 10315, Berlin, Germany
| | - B Sánchez-González
- Department of Biology, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, C/ Darwin 2, Campus Universitario de Cantoblanco, 28049, Madrid, Spain
| | - I Barja
- Department of Biology, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, C/ Darwin 2, Campus Universitario de Cantoblanco, 28049, Madrid, Spain
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27
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Šmejkal M, Ricard D, Sajdlová Z, Čech M, Vejřík L, Blabolil P, Vejříková I, Prchalová M, Vašek M, Souza AT, Brönmark C, Peterka J. Can species-specific prey responses to chemical cues explain prey susceptibility to predation? Ecol Evol 2018; 8:4544-4551. [PMID: 29760895 PMCID: PMC5938473 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.4000] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2017] [Revised: 01/26/2018] [Accepted: 02/23/2018] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
The perception of danger represents an essential ability of prey for gaining an informational advantage over their natural enemies. Especially in complex environments or at night, animals strongly rely on chemoreception to avoid predators. The ability to recognize danger by chemical cues and subsequent adaptive responses to predation threats should generally increase prey survival. Recent findings suggest that European catfish (Silurus glanis) introduction induce changes in fish community and we tested whether the direction of change can be attributed to differences in chemical cue perception. We tested behavioral response to chemical cues using three species of freshwater fish common in European water: rudd (Scardinius erythrophthalmus), roach (Rutilus rutilus), and perch (Perca fluviatilis). Further, we conducted a prey selectivity experiment to evaluate the prey preferences of the European catfish. Roach exhibited the strongest reaction to chemical cues, rudd decreased use of refuge and perch did not alter any behavior in the experiment. These findings suggest that chemical cue perception might be behind community data change and we encourage collecting more community data of tested prey species before and after European catfish introduction to test the hypothesis. We conclude that used prey species can be used as a model species to verify whether chemical cue perception enhances prey survival.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marek Šmejkal
- Biology Centre of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic Institute of Hydrobiology České Budějovice Czech Republic.,Faculty of Science University of South Bohemia České Budějovice Czech Republic
| | - Daniel Ricard
- Biology Centre of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic Institute of Hydrobiology České Budějovice Czech Republic.,Fisheries and Oceans Canada Gulf Fisheries Centre Moncton Canada
| | - Zuzana Sajdlová
- Biology Centre of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic Institute of Hydrobiology České Budějovice Czech Republic
| | - Martin Čech
- Biology Centre of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic Institute of Hydrobiology České Budějovice Czech Republic
| | - Lukáš Vejřík
- Biology Centre of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic Institute of Hydrobiology České Budějovice Czech Republic
| | - Petr Blabolil
- Biology Centre of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic Institute of Hydrobiology České Budějovice Czech Republic
| | - Ivana Vejříková
- Biology Centre of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic Institute of Hydrobiology České Budějovice Czech Republic
| | - Marie Prchalová
- Biology Centre of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic Institute of Hydrobiology České Budějovice Czech Republic
| | - Mojmír Vašek
- Biology Centre of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic Institute of Hydrobiology České Budějovice Czech Republic
| | - Allan T Souza
- Biology Centre of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic Institute of Hydrobiology České Budějovice Czech Republic
| | | | - Jiří Peterka
- Biology Centre of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic Institute of Hydrobiology České Budějovice Czech Republic
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28
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Training for Translocation: Predator Conditioning Induces Behavioral Plasticity and Physiological Changes in Captive Eastern Hellbenders (Cryptobranchus alleganiensis alleganiensis) (Cryptobranchidae, Amphibia). DIVERSITY-BASEL 2018. [DOI: 10.3390/d10010013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Translocations are stressful, especially when captive animals are naïve to natural stimuli. Captive eastern hellbenders (Cryptobranchus alleganiensis alleganiensis) identify predatory fish as threats, but may be more vulnerable to predation and stress because of inexperience with them. We investigated the use of predator conditioning to prepare hellbenders, behaviorally and physiologically, for the presence of a common predator, largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides). We reared hellbenders for 30 d with and without continuous exposure to largemouth bass kairomones and heterospecific alarm cues and found conditioned hellbenders became less active compared to unconditioned individuals (p = 0.017). After conditioning, we exposed hellbenders to water, a low concentration of kairomones, or a high concentration of kairomones in a closed respirometer system. We measured activity within respirometer chambers and routine metabolic rate. We found unconditioned hellbenders exposed to low and high concentrations of kairomones were 41% and 119% more active than conditioned animals (p = 0.002 and p < 0.001). Moreover, conditioned individuals had on average 6.5% lower metabolic rates across all three kairomone concentrations compared to unconditioned individuals (p = 0.017). Our data suggest that predator conditioning induces behavioral avoidance tactics and physiological changes that could improve future translocation efforts for hellbenders and other imperiled species.
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29
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McCormick MI, Lönnstedt OM. Disrupted learning: habitat degradation impairs crucial antipredator responses in naive prey. Proc Biol Sci 2017; 283:rspb.2016.0441. [PMID: 27170715 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2016.0441] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2016] [Accepted: 04/18/2016] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Habitat degradation is a global problem and one of the main causes of biodiversity loss. Though widespread, the mechanisms that underlie faunal changes are poorly understood. In tropical marine systems, corals play a crucial role in forming habitat, but coral cover on many reefs is declining sharply. Coral degradation affects the olfactory cues that provide reliable information on the presence and intensity of threat. Here, we show for the first time that the ability of a habitat generalist to learn predators using an efficient and widespread method of predator learning is compromised in degraded coral habitats. Results indicate that chemical alarm cues are no longer indicative of a local threat for the habitat generalist (the damselfish, Pomacentrus amboinensis), and these cues can no longer be used to learn the identity of novel predators in degraded habitats. By contrast, a rubble specialist and congeneric (Pomacentrus coelestis) responded to olfactory threat cues regardless of background environment and could learn the identity of a novel predator using chemical alarm cues. Understanding how some species can cope with or acclimate to the detrimental impacts of habitat degradation on risk assessment abilities will be crucial to defining the scope of resilience in threatened communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark I McCormick
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies and College of Marine and Environmental Sciences, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
| | - Oona M Lönnstedt
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies and College of Marine and Environmental Sciences, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia Department of Ecology and Genetics, Limnology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
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30
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MacPherson B, Mashayekhi M, Gras R, Scott R. Exploring the connection between emergent animal personality and fitness using a novel individual-based model and decision tree approach. ECOL INFORM 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoinf.2017.06.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
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31
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Farnsley S, Kuhajda B, George A, Klug H. Fundulus catenatus(Northern Studfish) Response to the Potential Alarm Cue Chondroitin Sulfate. SOUTHEAST NAT 2016. [DOI: 10.1656/058.015.0315] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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Abudayah WH, Mathis A. Predator recognition learning in rainbow darters Etheostoma caeruleum: specific learning and neophobia. JOURNAL OF FISH BIOLOGY 2016; 89:1612-1623. [PMID: 27325601 DOI: 10.1111/jfb.13061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2015] [Accepted: 05/13/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
This study investigated whether rainbow darters Etheostoma caeruleum can learn to recognize unfamiliar predators through the process of classical conditioning. Etheostoma caeruleum were conditioned by exposing them simultaneously to their chemical alarm cues (a known fright stimulus) and either chemical cues from larval ringed salamanders Ambystoma annulatum (unfamiliar predator) or to a blank water cue (control). Conditioning could result in either specific learning of the A. annulatum cue or increased wariness in response to any novel cue (neophobia). To distinguish between these possibilities, E. caeruleum in both groups were exposed to either A. annulatum cues alone or to chemical cues from western rat snakes Pantherophis obsoletus (novel cue) 2 days after conditioning. Treatment (A. annulatum-conditioned) E. caeruleum, but not control E. caeruleum, showed a fright response when they were exposed to both the conditioned (A. annulatum) and novel (P. obsoletus) cues, indicating increased sensitivity to new stimuli. When E. caeruleum were retested after an additional 32 days, however, the fright response occurred only following exposure to the conditioned (A. annulatum) stimulus, indicating that specific learning of the A. annulatum cue had been retained whereas the neophobia to novel stimuli was temporary.
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Affiliation(s)
- W H Abudayah
- Department of Biology, Missouri State University, Springfield, MO, 65897, U.S.A
| | - A Mathis
- Department of Biology, Missouri State University, Springfield, MO, 65897, U.S.A
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Kopack CJ, Broder ED, Fetherman ER, Lepak JM, Angeloni LM. The effect of a single prerelease exposure to conspecific alarm cue on poststocking survival in three strains of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). CAN J ZOOL 2016. [DOI: 10.1139/cjz-2016-0086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Significant resources go toward rearing and stocking fish globally, yet poststocking survival is often low, largely due to high predation rates on hatchery-reared fish. Antipredator behavior has been enhanced in many species through exposure to chemical cues that simulate predation events, but the implementation of such protocols may be logistically challenging. It has been suggested that a single exposure of hatchery fish to chemical cues while en route to stocking locations may be sufficient to enhance antipredator behavior and improve survival. We tested whether a one-time exposure to conspecific alarm cues while en route to a stocking site increased poststocking survival of three strains of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss (Walbaum, 1792)). We found no difference in mortality rates between strains or between treatment fish (exposed to alarm cues) and control fish (not exposed to alarm cues), suggesting that this quick and easy protocol was insufficient and that more complex techniques should be explored to increase poststocking survival.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher J. Kopack
- Colorado Parks and Wildlife, Aquatic Research Section, 317 West Prospect, Fort Collins, CO 80526, USA
- Department of Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523-1878, USA
| | - E. Dale Broder
- Department of Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523-1878, USA
- Graduate Degree Program in Ecology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523-1878, USA
| | - Eric R. Fetherman
- Colorado Parks and Wildlife, Aquatic Research Section, 317 West Prospect, Fort Collins, CO 80526, USA
| | - Jesse M. Lepak
- Colorado Parks and Wildlife, Aquatic Research Section, 317 West Prospect, Fort Collins, CO 80526, USA
| | - Lisa M. Angeloni
- Department of Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523-1878, USA
- Graduate Degree Program in Ecology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523-1878, USA
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34
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Effects of different predator stress on vulnerability to predation and the underlying physiological and behavioral mechanisms of this vulnerability in juvenile qingbo (Spinibarbus sinensis). ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/j.chnaes.2016.01.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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35
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Pueta M, Perotti MG. Anuran tadpoles learn to recognize injury cues from members of the same prey guild. Anim Cogn 2016; 19:745-51. [PMID: 26968427 DOI: 10.1007/s10071-016-0971-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2015] [Revised: 02/22/2016] [Accepted: 02/26/2016] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Recognition of predation risk from cues released from injured heterospecific could be beneficial when prey belongs to the same prey guild. Here, we performed three experiments. Experiment 1 showed that P. thaul tadpoles reduced their activity levels when exposed to conspecific injury cues, but not when exposed to amphipod injury cues. Experiment 2 tested whether P. thaul tadpoles can learn to recognize predation risk from chemical cues released from injured heterospecifics from the same prey guild (amphipod, Hyalella patagonica). A group of tadpoles were conditioned by exposing them to a specific concentration of amphipod injury cues paired with conspecific injury cues. Two days later, we evaluated changes in the activity of tadpoles when they were exposed to amphipod cues. As a control of learning, we used an unpaired group. Additionally, we used more control groups to fully investigate the learning mechanism. Our results showed that tadpoles can learn to recognize predation risk from injured amphipods and that the mechanism underlying the observed learned response could be associative. Experiment 3 replicated Experiment 2 and also showed that a low concentration of amphipod cues did not sustain that learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariana Pueta
- Laboratorio de Fotobiología- INIBIOMA (CONICET-UNComa), Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente, Centro Regional Universitario Bariloche-Universidad Nacional del Comahue, San Carlos de Bariloche, Rio Negro, Argentina. .,Departamento de Biología General. (CRUB-UNComa), Centro Regional Universitario Bariloche-Universidad Nacional del Comahue, San Carlos de Bariloche, Rio Negro, Argentina.
| | - Maria Gabriela Perotti
- Laboratorio de Fotobiología- INIBIOMA (CONICET-UNComa), Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente, Centro Regional Universitario Bariloche-Universidad Nacional del Comahue, San Carlos de Bariloche, Rio Negro, Argentina
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36
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Crane AL, Ferrari MC. Minnows trust conspecifics more than themselves when faced with conflicting information about predation risk. Anim Behav 2015. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2014.12.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
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37
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Frechette JL, Sieving KE, Boinski S. Social and personal information use by squirrel monkeys in assessing predation risk. Am J Primatol 2014; 76:956-66. [PMID: 24809852 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.22283] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2013] [Revised: 02/28/2014] [Accepted: 03/04/2014] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
The threat of predation can significantly influence prey behaviors through altered perceptions of risk. Prey risk perception is constantly updated via collection of personal and social information about predators. Better understanding of the links between information availability, its use, and prey species' perception of risk will aid in explaining how animals adapt to predation. The goal of this study was to determine the environmental and social cues-available to prey via personal and social information, respectively-that influence wild squirrel monkey (Saimiri sciureus) reactivity to potential predators, treated here as a proxy for risk perception. We followed squirrel monkey troops for 3 years in Suriname, South America, and accounted for environmental and social variables associated with potential predator encounters. We utilized logistic regression models applied to a robust and long-term data set to reveal relationships among factors affecting squirrel monkey anti-predator responses. Our analyses revealed that height, season, type of predator stimulus, and mixed-species associations with capuchin monkeys (Sapajus apella) were highly related to intensity of squirrel monkey anti-predator responses. Moreover, our analyses revealed that squirrel monkeys overestimate the immediate threat of predation when individuals have incomplete information regarding the potential predator.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jackson L Frechette
- School of Natural Resources and Environment, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida; Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida
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38
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Polo-Cavia N, Gomez-Mestre I. Learned recognition of introduced predators determines survival of tadpole prey. Funct Ecol 2013. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.12175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Nuria Polo-Cavia
- Department of Biology; Universidad Autónoma de Madrid; 28049 Madrid Spain
- Ecology, Evolution, and Development Group; Department of Wetland Ecology; Doñana Biological Station; CSIC; E-41092 Seville Spain
| | - Ivan Gomez-Mestre
- Ecology, Evolution, and Development Group; Department of Wetland Ecology; Doñana Biological Station; CSIC; E-41092 Seville Spain
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39
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Rana S, Bhattacharya S, Pal J, N'Guérékata GM, Chattopadhyay J. Paradox of enrichment: A fractional differential approach with memory. PHYSICA A 2013; 392:3610-3621. [PMID: 32288086 PMCID: PMC7127129 DOI: 10.1016/j.physa.2013.03.061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2012] [Revised: 01/22/2013] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
The paradox of enrichment (PoE) proposed by Rosenzweig [M. Rosenzweig, The paradox of enrichment, Science 171 (1971) 385-387] is still a fundamental problem in ecology. Most of the solutions have been proposed at an individual species level of organization and solutions at community level are lacking. Knowledge of how learning and memory modify behavioral responses to species is a key factor in making a crucial link between species and community levels. PoE resolution via these two organizational levels can be interpreted as a microscopic- and macroscopic-level solution. Fractional derivatives provide an excellent tool for describing this memory and the hereditary properties of various materials and processes. The derivatives can be physically interpreted via two time scales that are considered simultaneously: the ideal, equably flowing homogeneous local time, and the cosmic (inhomogeneous) non-local time. Several mechanisms and theories have been proposed to resolve the PoE problem, but a universally accepted theory is still lacking because most studies have focused on local effects and ignored non-local effects, which capture memory. Here we formulate the fractional counterpart of the Rosenzweig model and analyze the stability behavior of a system. We conclude that there is a threshold for the memory effect parameter beyond which the Rosenzweig model is stable and may be used as a potential agent to resolve PoE from a new perspective via fractional differential equations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sourav Rana
- Agricultural and Ecological Research Unit, Indian Statistical Institute, 203, B.T. Road, Kolkata 700108, India
| | - Sabyasachi Bhattacharya
- Agricultural and Ecological Research Unit, Indian Statistical Institute, 203, B.T. Road, Kolkata 700108, India
| | - Joydeep Pal
- Agricultural and Ecological Research Unit, Indian Statistical Institute, 203, B.T. Road, Kolkata 700108, India
| | | | - Joydev Chattopadhyay
- Agricultural and Ecological Research Unit, Indian Statistical Institute, 203, B.T. Road, Kolkata 700108, India
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40
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Manassa RP, McCormick MI, Chivers DP, Ferrari MCO. Social learning of predators in the dark: understanding the role of visual, chemical and mechanical information. Proc Biol Sci 2013; 280:20130720. [PMID: 23804616 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2013.0720] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The ability of prey to observe and learn to recognize potential predators from the behaviour of nearby individuals can dramatically increase survival and, not surprisingly, is widespread across animal taxa. A range of sensory modalities are available for this learning, with visual and chemical cues being well-established modes of transmission in aquatic systems. The use of other sensory cues in mediating social learning in fishes, including mechano-sensory cues, remains unexplored. Here, we examine the role of different sensory cues in social learning of predator recognition, using juvenile damselfish (Amphiprion percula). Specifically, we show that a predator-naive observer can socially learn to recognize a novel predator when paired with a predator-experienced conspecific in total darkness. Furthermore, this study demonstrates that when threatened, individuals release chemical cues (known as disturbance cues) into the water. These cues induce an anti-predator response in nearby individuals; however, they do not facilitate learnt recognition of the predator. As such, another sensory modality, probably mechano-sensory in origin, is responsible for information transfer in the dark. This study highlights the diversity of sensory cues used by coral reef fishes in a social learning context.
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Affiliation(s)
- R P Manassa
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies and School of Marine and Tropical Biology, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland 4811, Australia.
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41
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Behaviors of Southwestern Native Fishes in Response to Introduced Catfish Predators. JOURNAL OF FISH AND WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT 2013. [DOI: 10.3996/092012-jfwm-084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Native fishes reared in hatcheries typically suffer high predation mortality when stocked into natural environments. We evaluated the behavior of juvenile bonytail Gila elegans, roundtail chub Gila robusta, razorback sucker Xyrauchen texanus, and Sonora sucker Catostomus insignis in response to introduced channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus and flathead catfish Pylodictis olivaris. Our laboratory tests indicate these species did not inherently recognize catfish as a threat, but they can quickly (within 12 h) change their behavior in response to a novel predator paired with the sight and scent of a dead conspecific. Chubs appear to avoid predation by swimming away from the threat, whereas suckers reduced movement. Effects of antipredator conditioning on survival of fish reared in hatcheries is unknown; however, our results suggest some native fish can be conditioned to recognize introduced predators, which could increase poststocking survival.
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42
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43
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Ferrari MCO, Chivers DP. Temporal dynamics of information use in learning and retention of predator-related information in tadpoles. Anim Cogn 2013; 16:667-76. [PMID: 23389770 DOI: 10.1007/s10071-013-0602-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2012] [Revised: 01/14/2013] [Accepted: 01/15/2013] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Due to the high variability in predation risk through space and time, prey have to continuously update information about the risk level posed by predators. Despite numerous studies focusing on temporal risk assessment, we know very little about how individuals deal with information regarding changes in risk level of a given predator through time. In this study, we conditioned tadpoles to recognize a predator as a high or low risk twice 2 weeks apart, in a 2 × 2 design. We tested the responses of the tadpoles 1 and 11 days after each conditioning event. Prey showed responses to the predator 1 day after the first conditioning, but the low-risk group failed to respond to the predator after 11 days. However, we found that information learned during the first conditioning affected the response to the predator after the second conditioning, indicating that prey do not 'forget' old information, but simply ignore it. Moreover, tadpoles were able to assess their change in vulnerability over the 2-week period and further extrapolate the risk level of the predator through time to display adaptive threat-sensitive antipredator responses. Our study highlights the complex decision-making that prey use to assess temporal fluctuation in predation risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maud C O Ferrari
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, WCVM, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK S7W 5B4, Canada.
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44
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Ferrari MCO, Brown GE, Chivers DP. Temperature-mediated changes in rates of predator forgetting in woodfrog tadpoles. PLoS One 2012; 7:e51143. [PMID: 23251438 PMCID: PMC3521018 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0051143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2012] [Accepted: 11/01/2012] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Hundreds of studies have investigated the sources and nature of information that prey gather about their predators and the ways in which prey use this information to mediate their risk of predation. However, relatively little theoretical or empirical work has considered the question of how long information should be maintained and used by prey animals in making behavioural decisions. Here, we tested whether the size of the memory window associated with predator recognition could be affected by an intrinsic factor, such as size and growth rate of the prey. We maintained groups of predator-naive woodfrog, Lithobates sylvaticus, tadpoles at different temperatures for 8 days to induce differences in tadpole size. We then conditioned small and large tadpoles to recognize the odour of a predatory tiger salamander, Ambystoma tigrinum. Tadpoles were then maintained either on a high or low growth trajectory for another 8 days, after which they were tested for their response to the predator. Our results suggest that the memory window related to predator recognition of tadpoles is determined by both their size and/or growth rate at the time of learning and their subsequent growth rate post-learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maud C O Ferrari
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada.
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45
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Ebbesson LOE, Braithwaite VA. Environmental effects on fish neural plasticity and cognition. JOURNAL OF FISH BIOLOGY 2012; 81:2151-2174. [PMID: 23252732 DOI: 10.1111/j.1095-8649.2012.03486.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 97] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Most fishes experiencing challenging environments are able to adjust and adapt their physiology and behaviour to help them cope more effectively. Much of this flexibility is supported and influenced by cognition and neural plasticity. The understanding of fish cognition and the role played by different regions of the brain has improved significantly in recent years. Techniques such as lesioning, tract tracing and quantifying changes in gene expression help in mapping specialized brain areas. It is now recognized that the fish brain remains plastic throughout a fish's life and that it continues to be sensitive to environmental challenges. The early development of fish brains is shaped by experiences with the environment and this can promote positive and negative effects on both neural plasticity and cognitive ability. This review focuses on what is known about the interactions between the environment, the telencephalon and cognition. Examples are used from a diverse array of fish species, but there could be a lot to be gained by focusing research on neural plasticity and cognition in fishes for which there is already a wealth of knowledge relating to their physiology, behaviour and natural history, e.g. the Salmonidae.
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Affiliation(s)
- L O E Ebbesson
- Uni Research AS, Thormøhlensgate 49B, 5006 Bergen, Norway.
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46
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Brown GE, Ferrari MCO, Malka PH, Fregeau L, Kayello L, Chivers DP. Retention of acquired predator recognition among shy versus bold juvenile rainbow trout. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2012. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-012-1422-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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47
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Elvidge CK, Macnaughton CJ, Brown GE. Sensory complementation and antipredator behavioural compensation in acid-impacted juvenile Atlantic salmon. Oecologia 2012; 172:69-78. [PMID: 23053236 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-012-2478-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2012] [Accepted: 09/10/2012] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Prey incorporate multiple forms of publicly available information on predation risk into threat-sensitive antipredator behaviours. Changes in information availability have previously been demonstrated to elicit transient alterations in behavioural patterns, while the effects of long-term deprivation of particular forms of information remain largely unexplored. Damage-released chemical alarm cues from the epidermis of fishes are rendered non-functional under weakly acidic conditions (pH < 6.6), depriving fish of an important source of information on predation risk in acidified waterbodies. We addressed the effects of long-term deprivation on the antipredator responses to different combinations of chemical and visual threat cues via in situ observations of wild, free-swimming 0(+) Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) fry in four neutral and four weakly acidic nursery streams. In addition, a cross-population transplant experiment and natural interannual variation in acidity enabled the examination of provenance and environment as causes of the observed differences in response. Fish living under weakly acidic conditions demonstrate significantly greater or hypersensitive antipredator responses to visual cues compared to fish under neutral conditions. Under neutral conditions, fish demonstrate complementary (additive or synergistic) effects of paired visual and chemical cues consistent with threat-sensitive responses. Cross-population transplants and interannual comparisons of responses strongly support the conclusion that differences in antipredator responses between neutral and weakly acidic streams result from the loss of chemical information on predation risk, as opposed to population-derived differences in behaviours.
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Affiliation(s)
- C K Elvidge
- Department of Biology, Concordia University, Montréal, Canada.
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48
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Ferrari MCO, Vrtělová J, Brown GE, Chivers DP. Understanding the role of uncertainty on learning and retention of predator information. Anim Cogn 2012; 15:807-13. [DOI: 10.1007/s10071-012-0505-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2012] [Revised: 04/12/2012] [Accepted: 04/13/2012] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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49
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Pollock RJ, Pollock MS, Ferrari MCO, Kaminskyj SGW, Chivers DP. Do fathead minnows, Pimephales promelas Rafinesque, alter their club cell investment in responses to variable risk of infection from Saprolegnia? JOURNAL OF FISH DISEASES 2012; 35:249-254. [PMID: 22313366 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2761.2011.01337.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Fish in the Superorder Ostariophysi possess large epidermal club cells that release chemical cues warning nearby conspecifics of danger. Despite the long-held assumption that such club cells evolved under the selective force of predation, recent studies demonstrated that predation has no effect on club cell investment. Rather, club cells have an immune function and cell production may be stimulated by skin-penetrating pathogens and parasites. The current work investigates whether fathead minnows, Pimephales promelas, alter their club cell characteristics based on variation in infection risk. In a 2 × 3 design, we exposed minnows to infective cysts of two oomycete species (Saprolegnia ferax and S. parasitica) at three different concentrations (2, 20 or 200 cysts L(-1)). Club cell characteristics (number and size) were quantified 12 days after exposure. Saprolegnia parasitica is thought to be more pathogenic than S. ferax, hence we predicted greater club cell investment and a larger turnover rate of cells by minnows exposed to S. parasitica than S. ferax. We also predicted that minnows exposed to higher numbers of cysts should invest more in club cells and have a higher turnover rate of cells. We found no difference in club cell density or size between fish exposed to the two Saprolegnia species; however, fish exposed to high concentrations of pathogens had smaller club cells than those exposed to low concentrations, indicating a higher rate of turnover of cells in the epidermis.
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Affiliation(s)
- R J Pollock
- Department of Biology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada Department of Biomedical Sciences, WCVM, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada
| | - M S Pollock
- Department of Biology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada Department of Biomedical Sciences, WCVM, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada
| | - M C O Ferrari
- Department of Biology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada Department of Biomedical Sciences, WCVM, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada
| | - S G W Kaminskyj
- Department of Biology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada Department of Biomedical Sciences, WCVM, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada
| | - D P Chivers
- Department of Biology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada Department of Biomedical Sciences, WCVM, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada
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50
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Lönnstedt OM, McCormick MI, Meekan MG, Ferrari MCO, Chivers DP. Learn and live: predator experience and feeding history determines prey behaviour and survival. Proc Biol Sci 2012; 279:2091-8. [PMID: 22237904 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2011.2516] [Citation(s) in RCA: 91] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Determining how prey learn the identity of predators and match their vigilance with current levels of threat is central to understanding the dynamics of predator-prey systems and the determinants of fitness. Our study explores how feeding history influences the relative importance of olfactory and visual sensory modes of learning, and how the experience gained through these sensory modes influences behaviour and survival in the field for a juvenile coral reef damselfish. We collected young fish immediately prior to their settlement to benthic habitats. In the laboratory, these predator-naïve fish were exposed to a high- or low-food ration and then conditioned to recognize the olfactory cues (odours) and/or visual cues from two common benthic predators. Fish were then allowed to settle on reefs in the field, and their behaviour and survival over 70 h were recorded. Feeding history strongly influenced their willingness to take risks in the natural environment. Conditioning in the laboratory with visual, olfactory or both cues from predators led fish in the field to display risk-averse behaviour compared with fish conditioned with sea water alone. Well-fed fish that were conditioned with visual, chemical or a combination of predator cues survived eight times better over the first 48 h on reefs than those with no experience of benthic predator cues. This experiment highlights the importance of a flexible and rapid mechanism of learning the identity of predators for survival of young fish during the critical life-history transition between pelagic and benthic habitats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oona M Lönnstedt
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies and School of Marine and Tropical Biology, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland 4811, Australia
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