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Rosenthal DM, Deng L, Rose T, Touchon JC. One of these things is not like the other: Mixed predator cues result in lopsided phenotypic responses in a Neotropical tadpole. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0285968. [PMID: 37220106 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0285968] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2023] [Accepted: 04/12/2023] [Indexed: 05/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Many organisms have evolved to produce different phenotypes in response to environmental variation. Dendropsophus ebraccatus tadpoles develop opposing shifts in morphology and coloration when they are exposed to invertebrate vs vertebrate predators. Each of these alternate phenotypes are adaptive, conferring a survival advantage against the predator with which tadpoles were reared but imposing a survival cost with the mismatched predator. Here, we measured the phenotypic response of tadpoles to graded cues and mixed cues of both fish and dragonfly nymphs. Prey species like D. ebraccatus commonly co-occur with both of these types of predators, amongst many others as well. In our first experiment, tadpoles increased investment in defensive phenotypes in response to increasing concentrations of predator cues. Whereas morphology only differed in the strongest predation cue, tail spot coloration differed even at the lowest cue concentration. In our second experiment, tadpoles reared with cues from both predators developed an intermediate yet skewed phenotype that was most similar to the fish-induced phenotype. Previous studies have shown that fish are more lethal than dragonfly larvae; thus tadpoles responded most strongly to the more dangerous predator, even though the number of prey consumed by each predator was the same. This may be due to D. ebraccatus having evolved a stronger response to fish or because fish produce more kairomones than do dragonflies for a given amount of food. We demonstrate that not only do tadpoles assess predation risk via the concentration of predation cues in the water, they produce a stronger response to a more lethal predator even when the strength of cues is presumed to be identical.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dean M Rosenthal
- Biology Department, Vassar College, Poughkeepsie, New York, United States of America
| | - Luana Deng
- Biology Department, Vassar College, Poughkeepsie, New York, United States of America
| | - Tarif Rose
- Biology Department, Vassar College, Poughkeepsie, New York, United States of America
| | - Justin C Touchon
- Biology Department, Vassar College, Poughkeepsie, New York, United States of America
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2
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Bohenek JR, Pintar MR, Breech TM, Resetarits WJ. A wolf in sheep's clothing: Predatory fish have convergent consumptive effects but divergent predation‐risk effects. Ecosphere 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.4073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Jason R. Bohenek
- Department of Biology and Center for Water and Wetlands Resources The University of Mississippi University Mississippi USA
| | - Matthew R. Pintar
- Department of Biology and Center for Water and Wetlands Resources The University of Mississippi University Mississippi USA
| | - Tyler M. Breech
- Department of Biology and Center for Water and Wetlands Resources The University of Mississippi University Mississippi USA
| | - William J. Resetarits
- Department of Biology and Center for Water and Wetlands Resources The University of Mississippi University Mississippi USA
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3
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Melo GR, Solé M, Eterovick PC. Invisible or fearless: tadpole response to predator cues depends on color. ETHOL ECOL EVOL 2021. [DOI: 10.1080/03949370.2020.1830859] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Gabriela R. Melo
- Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Zoologia, Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz, Rodovia Ilhéus-Itabuna km 16, Ilhéus, Bahia CEP 45662-900, Brazil
| | - Mirco Solé
- Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Zoologia, Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz, Rodovia Ilhéus-Itabuna km 16, Ilhéus, Bahia CEP 45662-900, Brazil
- Herpetology Section, Zoologisches Forschungsmuseum Alexander Koenig, Adenauerallee 160, Bonn D-53113, Germany
| | - Paula C. Eterovick
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia de Vertebrados, Pontifícia Universidade Católica de Minas Gerais, 30535-610 Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
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4
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Kruger A, Morin PJ. Predators Induce Morphological Changes in Tadpoles of Hyla andersonii. COPEIA 2020. [DOI: 10.1643/ce-19-241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ariel Kruger
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Natural Resources, Rutgers University, 14 College Farm Road, New Brunswick, New Jersey 08901; (AK) . Send reprint requests to AK
| | - Peter J. Morin
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Natural Resources, Rutgers University, 14 College Farm Road, New Brunswick, New Jersey 08901; (AK) . Send reprint requests to AK
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5
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Touchon JC, Robertson JM. You cannot have it all: Heritability and constraints of predator‐induced developmental plasticity in a Neotropical treefrog. Evolution 2018; 72:2758-2772. [DOI: 10.1111/evo.13632] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2018] [Accepted: 10/10/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Justin Charles Touchon
- Biology Department Boston University Boston Massachusetts 02215
- Current Address: Biology Department Vassar College Poughkeepsie New York 12604
| | - Jeanne Marie Robertson
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Cornell University Ithaca New York 14853
- Current Address: Department of Biology California State University Northridge California 91330
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6
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The Origin and Ecological Function of an Ion Inducing Anti-Predator Behavior in Lithobates Tadpoles. J Chem Ecol 2018; 44:178-188. [DOI: 10.1007/s10886-018-0925-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2017] [Revised: 11/07/2017] [Accepted: 01/09/2018] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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7
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Urban MC, Richardson JL, Freidenfelds NA, Drake DL, Fischer JF, Saunders PP. Microgeographic Adaptation of Wood Frog Tadpoles to an Apex Predator. COPEIA 2017. [DOI: 10.1643/cg-16-534] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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8
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Yagi KT, Green DM. Mechanisms of Density-dependent Growth and Survival in Tadpoles of Fowler's Toad,Anaxyrus fowleri: Volume vs. Abundance. COPEIA 2016. [DOI: 10.1643/ce-16-438] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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9
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Dissecting the smell of fear from conspecific and heterospecific prey: investigating the processes that induce anti-predator defenses. Oecologia 2015; 180:55-65. [PMID: 26363906 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-015-3444-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2015] [Accepted: 08/30/2015] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Prey use chemical cues from predation events to obtain information about predation risk to alter their phenotypes. Though we know how many prey respond to predators, we still have a poor understanding of the processes and chemical cues involved during a predation event. We examined how gray treefrog tadpoles (Hyla versicolor) altered their behavior and morphology when raised with cues from different stages of predator attack, predators fed different amounts of prey, and predators consuming different combinations of treefrog tadpoles or snails (Helisoma trivolvis). We found that starved predators and predators fed snails induced no defensive responses whereas tadpoles exposed to a predator consuming gray treefrogs induced greater hiding, lower activity, and relatively deeper tails. We also found that the tadpoles did not respond to crushed, chewed, or digested conspecifics, but they did respond to consumed (i.e., chewed plus digested) conspecifics. When we increased the treefrog biomass consumed by predators, tadpoles frequently increased their defenses when only tadpoles were consumed and always increased their defenses when the total diet biomass was held constant via the inclusion of snails. When predators experienced temporal variation in diet composition, including cues from snails to cause additional digestive cues or chemical noise, there was no effect on tadpole phenotypes. Our results suggest that amphibian prey rely on cues from both chewing and digestion of conspecifics and that the presence of cues from digested heterospecifics play little or no role in adding chemical noise or increased digestive enzymes and by-products that could potentially interfere with induced defenses.
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10
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Hettyey A, Tóth Z, Thonhauser KE, Frommen JG, Penn DJ, Van Buskirk J. The relative importance of prey-borne and predator-borne chemical cues for inducible antipredator responses in tadpoles. Oecologia 2015; 179:699-710. [PMID: 26163350 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-015-3382-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2014] [Accepted: 06/21/2015] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Chemical cues that evoke anti-predator developmental changes have received considerable attention, but it is not known to what extent prey use information from the smell of predators and from cues released through digestion. We conducted an experiment to determine the importance of various types of cues for the adjustment of anti-predator defences. We exposed tadpoles (common frog, Rana temporaria) to water originating from predators (caged dragonfly larvae, Aeshna cyanea) that were fed different types and quantities of prey outside of tadpole-rearing containers. Variation among treatments in the magnitude of morphological and behavioural responses was highly consistent. Our results demonstrate that tadpoles can assess the threat posed by predators through digestion-released, prey-borne cues and continually released predator-borne cues. These cues may play an important role in the fine-tuning of anti-predator responses and significantly affect the outcome of interactions between predators and prey in aquatic ecosystems. There has been much confusion regards terminology used in the literature, and therefore we also propose a more precise and consistent binomial nomenclature based on the timing of chemical cue release (stress-, attack-, capture-, digestion- or continually released cues) and the origin of cues (prey-borne or predator-borne cues). We hope that this new nomenclature will improve comparisons among studies on this topic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Attila Hettyey
- Department of Integrative Biology and Evolution, Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria. .,Institute of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland. .,Lendület Evolutionary Ecology Research Group, Plant Protection Institute, Centre for Agricultural Research, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary.
| | - Zoltán Tóth
- Department of Integrative Biology and Evolution, Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria.,Lendület Evolutionary Ecology Research Group, Plant Protection Institute, Centre for Agricultural Research, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Kerstin E Thonhauser
- Department of Integrative Biology and Evolution, Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Joachim G Frommen
- Department of Integrative Biology and Evolution, Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria.,Department of Behavioural Ecology, Institute for Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Hinterkappelen, Switzerland
| | - Dustin J Penn
- Department of Integrative Biology and Evolution, Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Josh Van Buskirk
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
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11
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Shearman RM, Maglia AM. Osteological development of Cope's Gray Treefrog,Hyla chrysoscelis. ACTA ZOOL-STOCKHOLM 2014. [DOI: 10.1111/azo.12066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca M. Shearman
- Department of Biology; Framingham State University; 100 State St. Framingham MA 01701 USA
| | - Anne M. Maglia
- Department of Biology; Framingham State University; 100 State St. Framingham MA 01701 USA
- Division of Biological Infrastructure; Rm 615; US National Science Foundation; 4201 Wilson Blvd Arlington VA 22230 USA
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12
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El Balaa R, Blouin-Demers G. Does exposure to cues of fish predators fed different diets affect morphology and performance of Northern Leopard Frog (Lithobates pipiens) larvae? CAN J ZOOL 2013. [DOI: 10.1139/cjz-2012-0232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Phenotypic plasticity allows animals to change their morphological and life-history traits when exposed to predator cues, which modifies performance and can enhance survival but engender costs. Thus, the extent of plastic changes should vary in relation to the perceived risk of predation. We tested the hypothesis that plastic changes in morphology (and their effect on performance) and life history of developing Northern Leopard Frog (Lithobates pipiens (Schreber, 1782)) larvae vary when exposed to cues of fish predators fed different diets. During development, we exposed tadpoles to control cues, cues from brown bullhead (Ameiurus nebulosus (Lesueur, 1819)) fed trout pellets, or cues from A. nebulosus fed L. pipiens tadpoles. Tadpoles exposed to predatory fish cues had smaller bodies, deeper tail fins, slower growth and development rates, and better turning performance than tadpoles that were not exposed to predatory fish cues, but we found limited evidence that the predator’s diet had an effect on phenotypic plasticity. Predator diet affected tail morphology and activity, but the latter effect was only marginally significant. Lithobates pipiens tadpoles clearly respond to predatory fish cues, but it remains unclear whether their response is modulated by the predator’s diet.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rayan El Balaa
- Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, 30 Marie-Curie, Ottawa, ON K1N 6N5, Canada
| | - Gabriel Blouin-Demers
- Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, 30 Marie-Curie, Ottawa, ON K1N 6N5, Canada
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Elucidating Predator–Prey Interactions Using Aquatic Microcosms: Complex Effects of a Crayfish Predator, Vegetation, and Atrazine on Tadpole Survival and Behavior. J HERPETOL 2012. [DOI: 10.1670/10-185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
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14
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Bourdeau PE, Johansson F. Predator-induced morphological defences as by-products of prey behaviour: a review and prospectus. OIKOS 2012. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1600-0706.2012.20235.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
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15
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Lowe WH, McPeek MA, Likens GE, Cosentino BJ. Decoupling of genetic and phenotypic divergence in a headwater landscape. Mol Ecol 2012; 21:2399-409. [PMID: 22486884 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-294x.2012.05546.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Winsor H Lowe
- Division of Biological Sciences, The University of Montana, Missoula, MT 59812, USA.
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16
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Takahara T, Kohmatsu Y, Maruyama A, Doi H, Yamanaka H, Yamaoka R. Inducible defense behavior of an anuran tadpole: cue-detection range and cue types used against predator. Behav Ecol 2012. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/ars044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
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17
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Carfagno GLF, Carithers JM, Mycoff LJ, Lehtinen RM. How the Cricket Frog Lost Its Spot: The Inducible Defense Hypothesis. HERPETOLOGICA 2011. [DOI: 10.1655/herpetologica-d-10-00041.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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18
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ETEROVICK PAULAC, OLIVEIRA FRANCISCOFR, TATTERSALL GLENNJ. Threatened tadpoles of Bokermannohyla alvarengai (Anura: Hylidae) choose backgrounds that enhance crypsis potential. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2010. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1095-8312.2010.01501.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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19
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Hettyey A, Zsarnóczai S, Vincze K, Hoi H, Laurila A. Interactions between the information content of different chemical cues affect induced defences in tadpoles. OIKOS 2010. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1600-0706.2010.18563.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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20
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Schoeppner NM, Relyea RA. Interpreting the smells of predation: how alarm cues and kairomones induce different prey defences. Funct Ecol 2009. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2435.2009.01578.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 130] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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21
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Fraker ME, Hu F, Cuddapah V, McCollum SA, Relyea RA, Hempel J, Denver RJ. Characterization of an alarm pheromone secreted by amphibian tadpoles that induces behavioral inhibition and suppression of the neuroendocrine stress axis. Horm Behav 2009; 55:520-9. [PMID: 19470366 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2009.01.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 123] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2008] [Revised: 01/19/2009] [Accepted: 01/21/2009] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Many species assess predation risk through chemical cues, but the tissue source, chemical nature, and mechanisms of production or action of these cues are often unknown. Amphibian tadpoles show rapid and sustained behavioral inhibition when exposed to chemical cues of predation. Here we show that an alarm pheromone is produced by ranid tadpole skin cells, is released into the medium via an active secretory process upon predator attack, and signals predator presence to conspecifics. The pheromone is composed of two components with distinct biophysical properties that must be combined to elicit the behavioral response. In addition to the behavioral response, exposure to the alarm pheromone caused rapid and strong suppression of the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, as evidenced by a time and dose-dependent decrease in whole body corticosterone content. Reversing the decline in endogenous corticosterone caused by exposure to the alarm pheromone through addition of corticosterone to the aquarium water (50 nM) partially blocked the anti-predator behavior, suggesting that the suppression of the HPA axis promotes the expression and maintenance of a behaviorally quiescent state. To our knowledge this is the first evidence for aquatic vertebrate prey actively secreting an alarm pheromone in response to predator attack. We also provide a neuroendocrine mechanism by which the behavioral inhibition caused by exposure to the alarm pheromone is maintained until the threat subsides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael E Fraker
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1048, USA
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22
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Touchon JC, Warkentin KM. Fish and dragonfly nymph predators induce opposite shifts in color and morphology of tadpoles. OIKOS 2008. [DOI: 10.1111/j.0030-1299.2008.16354.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
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23
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Touchon JC, Warkentin KM. Fish and dragonfly nymph predators induce opposite shifts in color and morphology of tadpoles. OIKOS 2008. [DOI: 10.1111/j.2008.0030-1299.16354.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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Sbarbati A, Osculati F. Allelochemical Communication in Vertebrates: Kairomones, Allomones and Synomones. Cells Tissues Organs 2006; 183:206-19. [PMID: 17159346 DOI: 10.1159/000096511] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2006] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Communication between different species by means of chemicals (allelomones) is widespread among prokaryotes, plants and invertebrates. This study reviews data suggesting that allelochemically mediated communication also exists among vertebrates. The work aims to provide a concise, interdisciplinary review of communication mediated by infochemicals, with a focus on interspecies and interkingdom signaling. A definition of infochemicals is given, with a brief review of the general principles of chemical communication in different kingdoms in nature. Findings are reported which suggest that interspecies chemical signaling is important for vertebrates also. It is proposed that the general laws of chemical ecology are valid for mammals too, and that the terms indicating the different types of allelomones (i.e. kairomone, allomone and synomone) might also be used in medicine. In particular, the microchemical environment at the airway and digestive interfaces are discussed from an infochemical point of view.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Sbarbati
- Department of Morphological-Biomedical Sciences, Section of Anatomy and Histology, University of Verona, Verona, Italy.
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