1
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Variation in plastic consumption: social group size enhances individual susceptibility to an evolutionary trap. Anim Behav 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2022.07.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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2
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Garnero PL, Ballesteros ML, Monferran MV, Rivetti NG, Bistoni MA. Multi-biomarker Assessment in a Native Species Psalidodon eigenmanniorum Under Inorganic Mercury and Recovery Scenarios. ARCHIVES OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONTAMINATION AND TOXICOLOGY 2022; 83:142-154. [PMID: 35934735 DOI: 10.1007/s00244-022-00946-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2022] [Accepted: 07/04/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The increasing contamination of water bodies with mercury raises concerns about its possible effects on aquatic organisms. The combined use of several biomarkers allows researchers to study the impact of a chemical at different levels of biological organization. In the present work, we determined the response of histological (gills and liver), somatic (condition factor and hepato-somatic index), and behavioral (predator-prey relationship, through the presentation of a computer-animated image) biomarkers in the native species Psalidodon eigenmanniorum exposed to 100 µg L-1 of inorganic Hg (IHg) during 96 h. We also assessed whether there was a change in the biomarkers analyzed after 7 days in Hg-free water compared with those exposed to IHg. In exposed fish, IHg caused damage to the gills and liver tissues. The condition factor showed no difference between IHg-exposed organisms and control organisms, while the hepato-somatic index was lower in IHg-exposed fish. As for the behavioral analyses, it was observed that the presentation of a stimulus induced changes in the behavioral responses of fish exposed to IHg, which showed a heightened state of alertness with respect to control. On the other hand, after 7 days in Hg-free water, the organisms generally showed no changes in biomarkers compared with IHg-exposed fish. Our results contribute new data on IHg toxicity in a native species and provide information on the plasticity of damage to reverse itself. Furthermore, this work provides baseline information for environmental assessments in water bodies where mercury is present.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paola L Garnero
- Departamento de Diversidad Biológica y Ecología, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina.
- Instituto de Diversidad y Ecología Animal (IDEA), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Córdoba, Argentina.
| | - María L Ballesteros
- Departamento de Diversidad Biológica y Ecología, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina
- Instituto de Diversidad y Ecología Animal (IDEA), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Magdalena V Monferran
- Centro de Investigaciones en Bioquímica Clínica e Inmunología (CIBICI-CONICET) and Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Natalia G Rivetti
- Departamento de Diversidad Biológica y Ecología, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina
- Instituto de Diversidad y Ecología Animal (IDEA), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Córdoba, Argentina
| | - María A Bistoni
- Departamento de Diversidad Biológica y Ecología, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina
- Instituto de Diversidad y Ecología Animal (IDEA), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Córdoba, Argentina
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3
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Tsang AHF, Dudgeon D. Can the functional response to prey predict invasiveness? A comparison of native fishes and alien poeciliids in Hong Kong. Biol Invasions 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s10530-021-02493-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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4
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Chang CH, Wang YC, Shao YT, Liu SH. Phylogenetic analysis and ontogenetic changes in the cone opsins of the western mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis). PLoS One 2020; 15:e0240313. [PMID: 33048954 PMCID: PMC7553354 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0240313] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2020] [Accepted: 09/23/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
To convert external light into internal neural signal, vertebrates rely on a special group of proteins, the visual opsins. Four of the five types of visual opsins—short-wavelength sensitive 1 (Sws1), short-wavelength sensitive 2 (Sws2), medium-wavelength sensitive (Rh2), and long-wavelength sensitive (Lws)—are expressed in cone cells for scotopic vision, with the fifth, rhodopsin (Rh1), being expressed in rod cells for photopic vision. Fish often display differing ontogenetic cone opsin expression profiles, which may be related to dietary and/or habitat ontogenetic shift. The western mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis) is an aggressive invader that has successfully colonized every continent except Antarctica. The strong invasiveness of this species may be linked to its visual acuity since it can inhabit turbid waters better than other fishes. By genome screening and transcriptome analysis, we identify seven cone opsin genes in the western mosquitofish, including one sws1, two sws2, one rh2, and three lws. The predicted maximal absorbance wavelength (λmax) values of the respective proteins are 353 nm for Sws1, 449 nm for Sws2a, 408 nm for Sws2b, 516 nm for Rh2-1, 571 nm for Lws-1, and 519 nm for Lws-3. Retention of an intron in the lws-r transcript likely renders this visual opsin gene non-functional. Our real-time quantitative PCR demonstrates that adult male and female western mosquitofish do not differ in their cone opsin expression profiles, but we do reveal an ontogenetic shift in cone opsin expression. Compared to adults, larvae express proportionally more sws1 and less lws-1, suggesting that the western mosquitofish is more sensitive to shorter wavelengths in the larval stage, but becomes more sensitive to longer wavelengths in adulthood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chia-Hao Chang
- TIGP Biodiversity Program, Tunghai University, Taichung City, Taiwan
- Center for Ecology and Environment, Tunghai University, Taichung City, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Chun Wang
- Planning and Information Division, Fisheries Research Institute, Keelung City, Taiwan
| | - Yi Ta Shao
- Institute of Marine Biology, National Taiwan Ocean University, Keelung, Taiwan
| | - Shih-Hui Liu
- Department of Biological Sciences, National Sun Yat-sen University, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan
- * E-mail: ,
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Polverino G, Karakaya M, Spinello C, Soman VR, Porfiri M. Behavioural and life-history responses of mosquitofish to biologically inspired and interactive robotic predators. J R Soc Interface 2019; 16:20190359. [PMID: 31506048 PMCID: PMC6769303 DOI: 10.1098/rsif.2019.0359] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2019] [Accepted: 08/07/2019] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Invasive alien species threaten biodiversity worldwide and contribute to biotic homogenization, especially in freshwaters, where the ability of native animals to disperse is limited. Robotics may offer a promising tool to address this compelling problem, but whether and how invasive species can be negatively affected by robotic stimuli is an open question. Here, we explore the possibility of modulating behavioural and life-history responses of mosquitofish by varying the degree of biomimicry of a robotic predator, whose appearance and locomotion are inspired by natural mosquitofish predators. Our results support the prediction that real-time interactions at varying swimming speeds evoke a more robust antipredator response in mosquitofish than simpler movement patterns by the robot, especially in individuals with better body conditions that are less prone to take risks. Through an information-theoretic analysis of animal-robot interactions, we offer evidence in favour of a causal link between the motion of the robotic predator and a fish antipredator response. Remarkably, we observe that even a brief exposure to the robotic predator of 15 min per week is sufficient to erode energy reserves and compromise the body condition of mosquitofish, opening the door for future endeavours to control mosquitofish in the wild.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giovanni Polverino
- Centre for Evolutionary Biology, University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia
- Department of Biology and Ecology of Fishes, Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Berlin, Germany
| | - Mert Karakaya
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Tandon School of Engineering, New York University, Brooklyn, NY, USA
| | - Chiara Spinello
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Tandon School of Engineering, New York University, Brooklyn, NY, USA
| | - Vrishin R. Soman
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Tandon School of Engineering, New York University, Brooklyn, NY, USA
| | - Maurizio Porfiri
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Tandon School of Engineering, New York University, Brooklyn, NY, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tandon School of Engineering, New York University, Brooklyn, NY, USA
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6
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Falcão B, Marques M, Nunes B. Behavioral and biochemical effects of the antifouler and antidandruff zinc pyrithione on the freshwater fish Gambusia holbrooki. FISH PHYSIOLOGY AND BIOCHEMISTRY 2019; 45:1495-1512. [PMID: 31001754 DOI: 10.1007/s10695-019-00634-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2019] [Accepted: 03/17/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
The presence of pharmaceutical residues in the aquatic environment is receiving great attention since the levels of these substances have significantly increased in this compartment, potentially leading to adverse ecological effects. Zinc pyrithione (ZnPt) is a widely used organometallic biocide, which is incorporated into antifouling formulas, such as paints, to prevent the establishment of biofilms on surfaces exposed to the aquatic environment. It is also used in cosmetics, such as antidandruff shampoos and soaps. Considering this wide use, and the absence of a significant amount of data on the toxicity of ZnPt especially towards non-target organisms, the objective of this study was to characterize the toxicity of ZnPt, on several ecological relevant endpoints assessed in the fish Gambusia holbrooki. For this purpose, we measured traits related to feeding and aggressive behavior, as well as indicators of oxidative stress (CAT and GSTs), neurotoxicity (AChE), and anaerobic metabolism (LDH), after acute and chronic exposures to ZnPt. In terms of behavioral features, the feeding test showed the occurrence of significant differences between the control animals and those exposed to a concentration of ZnPt of 45 μg/L. In addition, ZnPt caused changes in terms of oxidative stress biomarkers (CAT and GSTs), for both exposure periods. ZnPt was also capable of causing changes in the cholinergic neurotransmission functioning and anaerobic metabolism, but only following the chronic exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bruno Falcão
- Departamento de Biologia/CESAM, Universidade de Aveiro, Campus de Santiago, 3810-193, Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Márcia Marques
- Departamento de Biologia/CESAM, Universidade de Aveiro, Campus de Santiago, 3810-193, Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Bruno Nunes
- Departamento de Biologia/CESAM, Universidade de Aveiro, Campus de Santiago, 3810-193, Aveiro, Portugal.
- Centro de Estudos do Ambiente e do Mar (CESAM), Universidade de Aveiro, Campus de Santiago, 3810-193, Aveiro, Portugal.
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Chen BJ, Liu K, Zhou LJ, Gomes-Silva G, Sommer-Trembo C, Plath M. Personality differentially affects individual mate choice decisions in female and male Western mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis). PLoS One 2018; 13:e0197197. [PMID: 29763435 PMCID: PMC5953439 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0197197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2017] [Accepted: 04/27/2018] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Consistent individual differences in behavioral tendencies (animal personality) can affect individual mate choice decisions. We asked whether personality traits affect male and female mate choice decisions similarly and whether potential personality effects are consistent across different mate choice situations. Using western mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis) as our study organism, we characterized focal individuals (males and females) twice for boldness, activity, and sociability/shoaling and found high and significant behavioral repeatability. Additionally, each focal individual was tested in two different dichotomous mate choice tests in which it could choose between computer-animated stimulus fish of the opposite sex that differed in body size and activity levels, respectively. Personality had different effects on female and male mate choice: females that were larger than average showed stronger preferences for large-bodied males with increasing levels of boldness/activity (i.e., towards more proactive personality types). Males that were larger than average and had higher shoaling tendencies showed stronger preferences for actively swimming females. Size-dependent effects of personality on the strength of preferences for distinct phenotypes of potential mating partners may reflect effects of age/experience (especially in females) and social dominance (especially in males). Previous studies found evidence for assortative mate choice based on personality types or hypothesized the existence of behavioral syndromes of individuals’ choosiness across mate choice criteria, possibly including other personality traits. Our present study exemplifies that far more complex patterns of personality-dependent mate choice can emerge in natural systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo-jian Chen
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, P.R. China
| | - Kai Liu
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, P.R. China
| | - Lin-jun Zhou
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, P.R. China
| | - Guilherme Gomes-Silva
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, P.R. China
- Department of Geography (“Saude Ambiental”), Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Carolin Sommer-Trembo
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, P.R. China
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, J.W. Goethe University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Straße, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Martin Plath
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, P.R. China
- * E-mail:
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Zimmer C, Riesch R, Jourdan J, Bierbach D, Arias-Rodriguez L, Plath M. Female Choice Undermines the Emergence of Strong Sexual Isolation between Locally Adapted Populations of Atlantic Mollies ( Poecilia mexicana). Genes (Basel) 2018; 9:E232. [PMID: 29724050 PMCID: PMC5977172 DOI: 10.3390/genes9050232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2018] [Revised: 04/23/2018] [Accepted: 04/25/2018] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Divergent selection between ecologically dissimilar habitats promotes local adaptation, which can lead to reproductive isolation (RI). Populations in the Poecilia mexicana species complex have independently adapted to toxic hydrogen sulfide and show varying degrees of RI. Here, we examined the variation in the mate choice component of prezygotic RI. Mate choice tests across drainages (with stimulus males from another drainage) suggest that specific features of the males coupled with a general female preference for yellow color patterns explain the observed variation. Analyses of male body coloration identified the intensity of yellow fin coloration as a strong candidate to explain this pattern, and common-garden rearing suggested heritable population differences. Male sexual ornamentation apparently evolved differently across sulfide-adapted populations, for example because of differences in natural counterselection via predation. The ubiquitous preference for yellow color ornaments in poeciliid females likely undermines the emergence of strong RI, as female discrimination in favor of own males becomes weaker when yellow fin coloration in the respective sulfide ecotype increases. Our study illustrates the complexity of the (partly non-parallel) pathways to divergence among replicated ecological gradients. We suggest that future work should identify the genomic loci involved in the pattern reported here, making use of the increasing genomic and transcriptomic datasets available for our study system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Zimmer
- College of Animal Science & Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China.
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, Goethe University of Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Straße 13, D-60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
| | - Rüdiger Riesch
- Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Behaviour, School of Biological Sciences, Royal Holloway University of London, Egham, Surrey TW20 0EX, UK.
| | - Jonas Jourdan
- Department of River Ecology and Conservation, Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum Frankfurt, D-63571 Gelnhausen, Germany.
| | - David Bierbach
- Department of Biology and Ecology of Fishes, Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Müggelseedamm 310, D-12587 Berlin, Germany.
| | - Lenin Arias-Rodriguez
- División Académica de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Juárez Autónoma de Tabasco (UJAT), 86150 Villahermosa, Tabasco, Mexico.
| | - Martin Plath
- College of Animal Science & Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China.
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology for Agriculture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China.
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Romano D, Benelli G, Donati E, Remorini D, Canale A, Stefanini C. Multiple cues produced by a robotic fish modulate aggressive behaviour in Siamese fighting fishes. Sci Rep 2017; 7:4667. [PMID: 28680126 PMCID: PMC5498610 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-04840-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2017] [Accepted: 05/22/2017] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The use of robotics to establish social interactions between animals and robots, represents an elegant and innovative method to investigate animal behaviour. However, robots are still underused to investigate high complex and flexible behaviours, such as aggression. Here, Betta splendens was tested as model system to shed light on the effect of a robotic fish eliciting aggression. We evaluated how multiple signal systems, including a light stimulus, affect aggressive responses in B. splendens. Furthermore, we conducted experiments to estimate if aggressive responses were triggered by the biomimetic shape of fish replica, or whether any intruder object was effective as well. Male fishes showed longer and higher aggressive displays as puzzled stimuli from the fish replica increased. When the fish replica emitted its full sequence of cues, the intensity of aggression exceeded even that produced by real fish opponents. Fish replica shape was necessary for conspecific opponent perception, evoking significant aggressive responses. Overall, this study highlights that the efficacy of an artificial opponent eliciting aggressive behaviour in fish can be boosted by exposure to multiple signals. Optimizing the cue combination delivered by the robotic fish replica may be helpful to predict escalating levels of aggression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Donato Romano
- The BioRobotics Institute, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, Viale Rinaldo Piaggio 34, 56025 Pontedera, Pisa, Italy.
| | - Giovanni Benelli
- The BioRobotics Institute, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, Viale Rinaldo Piaggio 34, 56025 Pontedera, Pisa, Italy.
- Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment, University of Pisa, via del Borghetto 80, 56124, Pisa, Italy.
| | - Elisa Donati
- The BioRobotics Institute, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, Viale Rinaldo Piaggio 34, 56025 Pontedera, Pisa, Italy
| | - Damiano Remorini
- Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment, University of Pisa, via del Borghetto 80, 56124, Pisa, Italy
| | - Angelo Canale
- Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment, University of Pisa, via del Borghetto 80, 56124, Pisa, Italy
| | - Cesare Stefanini
- The BioRobotics Institute, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, Viale Rinaldo Piaggio 34, 56025 Pontedera, Pisa, Italy
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and Robotics Institute, Khalifa University, PO Box, 127788, Abu Dhabi, UAE
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10
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Sommer-Trembo C, Plath M, Gismann J, Helfrich C, Bierbach D. Context-dependent female mate choice maintains variation in male sexual activity. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2017; 4:170303. [PMID: 28791157 PMCID: PMC5541552 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.170303] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2017] [Accepted: 06/14/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
The existence of individual variation in males' motivation to mate remains a conundrum as directional selection should favour high mating frequencies. Balancing selection resulting from (context-dependent) female mate choice could contribute to the maintenance of this behavioural polymorphism. In dichotomous choice tests, mosquitofish (Gambusia holbrooki) females preferred virtual males showing intermediate mating frequencies, reflecting females' tendencies to avoid harassment by highly sexually active males. When tested in the presence of a female shoal-which protects females from male harassment-focal females showed significantly stronger preferences for high sexual activity. A trade-off between (indirect) benefits and (direct) costs of mating with sexually active males probably explains context-dependent female mate choice, as costs depend on the social environment in which females choose their mates. No preference was observed when we tested virgin females, suggesting that the behavioural pattern described here is part of the learned behavioural repertoire of G. holbrooki females.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolin Sommer-Trembo
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, People's Republic of China
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, J. W. Goethe University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Straße 13, 60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Martin Plath
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, People's Republic of China
| | - Jakob Gismann
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, J. W. Goethe University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Straße 13, 60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Claudia Helfrich
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, J. W. Goethe University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Straße 13, 60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - David Bierbach
- Department of Biology and Ecology of Fishes, Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Müggelseedamm 310, 12587 Berlin, Germany
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Friesen CN, Ramsey ME, Cummings ME. Differential sensitivity to estrogen-induced opsin expression in two poeciliid freshwater fish species. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2017; 246:200-210. [PMID: 28013033 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2016.12.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2016] [Revised: 11/29/2016] [Accepted: 12/19/2016] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
The sensory system shapes an individual's perception of the world, including social interactions with conspecifics, habitat selection, predator detection, and foraging behavior. Sensory signaling can be modulated by steroid hormones, making these processes particularly vulnerable to environmental perturbations. Here we examine the influence of exogenous estrogen manipulation on the visual physiology of female western mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis) and sailfin mollies (Poecilia latipinna), two poeciliid species that inhabit freshwater environments across the southern United States. We conducted two experiments to address this aim. First, we exposed females from both species to a one-week dose response experiment with three treatments of waterborne β-estradiol. Next, we conducted a one-week estrogen manipulation experiment with a waterborne estrogen (β-Estradiol), a selective estrogen receptor modulator (tamoxifen), or combination estrogen and tamoxifen treatment. We used quantitative PCR (qPCR) to examine the expression of cone opsins (SWS1, SWS2b, SWS2a, Rh2, LWS), rhodopsin (Rh1), and steroid receptor genes (ARα, ARβ, ERα, ERβ2, GPER) in the eyes of individual females from each species. Results from the dose response experiment revealed estradiol-sensitivity in opsin (SWS2a, Rh2, Rh1) and androgen receptor (ARα, ARβ) gene expression in mosquitofish females, but not sailfins. Meanwhile, our estrogen receptor modulation experiments revealed estrogen sensitivity in LWS opsin expression in both species, along with sensitivity in SWS1, SWS2b, and Rh2 opsins in mosquitofish. Comparisons of control females across experiments reveal species-level differences in opsin expression, with mosquitofish retinas dominated by short-wavelength sensitive opsins (SWS2b) and sailfins retinas dominated by medium- and long-wavelength sensitive opsins (Rh2 and LWS). Our research suggests that variation in exogenous levels of sex hormones within freshwater environments can modify the visual physiology of fishes in a species-specific manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caitlin N Friesen
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas, Austin, TX 78712, USA. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Caitlin_Friesen
| | - Mary E Ramsey
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Molly E Cummings
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas, Austin, TX 78712, USA
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12
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Vignet C, Parrott J. Maturation of behaviour in the fathead minnow. Behav Processes 2017; 138:15-21. [DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2017.02.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2016] [Revised: 02/06/2017] [Accepted: 02/06/2017] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
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13
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Three-dimensional computer graphic animations for studying social approach behaviour in medaka fish: Effects of systematic manipulation of morphological and motion cues. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0175059. [PMID: 28399163 PMCID: PMC5388324 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0175059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2016] [Accepted: 03/20/2017] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
We studied social approach behaviour in medaka fish using three-dimensional computer graphic (3DCG) animations based on the morphological features and motion characteristics obtained from real fish. This is the first study which used 3DCG animations and examined the relative effects of morphological and motion cues on social approach behaviour in medaka. Various visual stimuli, e.g., lack of motion, lack of colour, alternation in shape, lack of locomotion, lack of body motion, and normal virtual fish in which all four features (colour, shape, locomotion, and body motion) were reconstructed, were created and presented to fish using a computer display. Medaka fish presented with normal virtual fish spent a long time in proximity to the display, whereas time spent near the display was decreased in other groups when compared with normal virtual medaka group. The results suggested that the naturalness of visual cues contributes to the induction of social approach behaviour. Differential effects between body motion and locomotion were also detected. 3DCG animations can be a useful tool to study the mechanisms of visual processing and social behaviour in medaka.
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14
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Emergence and development of personality over the ontogeny of fish in absence of environmental stress factors. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-016-2206-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
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15
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Casner AM, Fackelman HC, Degtyareva O, Kight SL. Do Female Western Mosquitofish,Gambusia affinis,Prefer Ornaments That Males Lack? Ethology 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.12507] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ariel M. Casner
- Department of Biology; Montclair State University; Montclair NJ USA
| | | | - Olga Degtyareva
- Department of Biology; Montclair State University; Montclair NJ USA
| | - Scott L. Kight
- Department of Biology; Montclair State University; Montclair NJ USA
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16
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Tank size alters mean behaviours and individual rank orders in personality traits of fish depending on their life stage. Anim Behav 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2016.03.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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Bartolini T, Mwaffo V, Showler A, Macrì S, Butail S, Porfiri M. Zebrafish response to 3D printed shoals of conspecifics: the effect of body size. BIOINSPIRATION & BIOMIMETICS 2016; 11:026003. [PMID: 26891476 DOI: 10.1088/1748-3190/11/2/026003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Recent progress in three-dimensional (3D) printing technology has enabled rapid prototyping of complex models at a limited cost. Virtually every research laboratory has access to a 3D printer, which can assist in the design and implementation of hypothesis-driven studies on animal behavior. In this study, we explore the possibility of using 3D printing technology to understand the role of body size in the social behavior of the zebrafish model organism. In a dichotomous preference test, we study the behavioral response of zebrafish to shoals of 3D printed replicas of varying size. We systematically vary the size of each replica without altering the coloration, aspect ratio, and stripe patterns, which are all selected to closely mimic zebrafish morphophysiology. The replicas are actuated through a robotic manipulator, mimicking the natural motion of live subjects. Zebrafish preference is assessed by scoring the time spent in the vicinity of the shoal of replicas, and the information theoretic construct of transfer entropy is used to further elucidate the influence of the replicas on zebrafish motion. Our results demonstrate that zebrafish adjust their behavior in response to variations in the size of the replicas. Subjects exhibit an avoidance reaction for larger replicas, and they are attracted toward and influenced by smaller replicas. The approach presented in this study, integrating 3D printing technology, robotics, and information theory, is expected to significantly aid preclinical research on zebrafish behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tiziana Bartolini
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, New York University Tandon School of Engineering, Brooklyn, New York, NY 11201, USA
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18
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Phamduy P, Polverino G, Fuller RC, Porfiri M. Fish and robot dancing together: bluefin killifish females respond differently to the courtship of a robot with varying color morphs. BIOINSPIRATION & BIOMIMETICS 2014; 9:036021. [PMID: 25162832 DOI: 10.1088/1748-3182/9/3/036021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
The experimental integration of bioinspired robots in groups of social animals has become a valuable tool to understand the basis of social behavior and uncover the fundamental determinants of animal communication. In this study, we measured the preference of fertile female bluefin killifish (Lucania goodei) for robotic replicas whose aspect ratio, body size, motion pattern, and color morph were inspired by adult male killifish. The motion of the fish replica was controlled via a robotic platform, which simulated the typical courtship behavior observed in killifish males. The positional preferences of females were measured for three different color morphs (red, yellow, and blue). While variation in preference was high among females, females tend to spend more time in the vicinity of the yellow painted robot replicas. This preference may have emerged because the yellow robot replicas were very bright, particularly in the longer wavelengths (550–700 nm) compared to the red and blue replicas. These findings are in agreement with previous observations in mosquitofish and zebrafish on fish preference for artificially enhanced yellow pigmentation.
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Polverino G, Porfiri M. Zebrafish (Danio rerio) behavioural response to bioinspired robotic fish and mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis). BIOINSPIRATION & BIOMIMETICS 2013; 8:044001. [PMID: 23999758 DOI: 10.1088/1748-3182/8/4/044001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
The field of ethorobotics holds promise in aiding fundamental research in animal behaviour, whereby it affords fully controllable and easily reproducible experimental tools. Most of the current ethorobotics studies are focused on the behavioural response of a selected target species as it interacts with a biologically-inspired robot in controlled laboratory conditions. In this work, we first explore the interactions between two social fish species and a robotic fish, whose design is inspired by salient visual features of one of the species. Specifically, this study investigates the behavioural response of small shoals of zebrafish interacting with a zebrafish-inspired robotic fish and small shoals of mosquitofish in a basic ecological context. Our results demonstrate that the robotic fish differentially influences the behaviour of the two species by consistently attracting zebrafish, while repelling mosquitofish. This selective behavioural control is successful in spatially isolating the two species, which would otherwise exhibit prey-predator interactions, with mosquitofish attacking zebrafish.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giovanni Polverino
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Polytechnic Institute of New York University, Six MetroTech Center, 11201, Brooklyn, NY, USA
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Polverino G, Phamduy P, Porfiri M. Fish and robots swimming together in a water tunnel: robot color and tail-beat frequency influence fish behavior. PLoS One 2013; 8:e77589. [PMID: 24204882 PMCID: PMC3808421 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0077589] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2013] [Accepted: 09/10/2013] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The possibility of integrating bioinspired robots in groups of live social animals may constitute a valuable tool to study the basis of social behavior and uncover the fundamental determinants of animal functions and dysfunctions. In this study, we investigate the interactions between individual golden shiners (Notemigonus crysoleucas) and robotic fish swimming together in a water tunnel at constant flow velocity. The robotic fish is designed to mimic its live counterpart in the aspect ratio, body shape, dimension, and locomotory pattern. Fish positional preference with respect to the robot is experimentally analyzed as the robot's color pattern and tail-beat frequency are varied. Behavioral observations are corroborated by particle image velocimetry studies aimed at investigating the flow structure behind the robotic fish. Experimental results show that the time spent by golden shiners in the vicinity of the bioinspired robotic fish is the highest when the robot mimics their natural color pattern and beats its tail at the same frequency. In these conditions, fish tend to swim at the same depth of the robotic fish, where the wake from the robotic fish is stronger and hydrodynamic return is most likely to be effective.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giovanni Polverino
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Polytechnic Institute of New York University, Brooklyn, New York, United States of America
| | - Paul Phamduy
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Polytechnic Institute of New York University, Brooklyn, New York, United States of America
| | - Maurizio Porfiri
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Polytechnic Institute of New York University, Brooklyn, New York, United States of America
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Mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis) responds differentially to a robotic fish of varying swimming depth and aspect ratio. Behav Brain Res 2013; 250:133-8. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2013.05.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2013] [Revised: 04/30/2013] [Accepted: 05/04/2013] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
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