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Kang J, Ramirez-Calero S, Paula JR, Chen Y, Schunter C. Gene losses, parallel evolution and heightened expression confer adaptations to dedicated cleaning behaviour. BMC Biol 2023; 21:180. [PMID: 37612643 PMCID: PMC10463495 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-023-01682-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2023] [Accepted: 08/11/2023] [Indexed: 08/25/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cleaning symbioses are captivating interspecific interactions in which a cleaner fish removes ectoparasites from its client, contributing to the health and diversity of natural fish communities and aquaculture systems. However, the genetic signatures underlying this specialized behaviour remain poorly explored. To shed light on this, we generated a high-quality chromosome-scale genome of the bluestreak cleaner wrasse Labroides dimidiatus, a dedicated cleaner with cleaning as primary feeding mechanism throughout its life. RESULTS Compared with facultative and non-cleaner wrasses, L. dimidiatus was found with notable contractions in olfactory receptors implying their limited importance in dedicated cleaning. Instead, given its distinct tactile pre-conflict strategies, L. dimidiatus may rely more heavily on touch sensory perception, with heightened gene expression in the brain in anticipation of cleaning. Additionally, a reduction in NLR family CARD domain-containing protein 3 might enhance innate immunity of L. dimidiatus, probably assisting to reduce the impacts from parasite infections. In addition, convergent substitutions for a taste receptor and bone development genes across cleaners (L. dimidiatus and facultative cleaners) may provide them with evolved food discrimination abilities and jaw morphology that differentiate them from non-cleaners. Moreover, L. dimidiatus may exhibit specialized neural signal transductions for cleaning, as evidenced by positive selection in genes related to the glutamatergic synapse pathway. Interestingly, numerous glutamate receptors also demonstrated significantly higher expression in L. dimidiatus not engaged in cleaning, as compared to those involved in cleaning. Besides, apparent contractions in L. dimidiatus for protocadherins, which are responsible for neuronal development, may further promote specialized neural signal transductions in this species. CONCLUSIONS This study reveals that L. dimidiatus harbours substantial losses in specific gene families, convergent evolutions across cleaners and a large-scale high gene expression in preparation for cleaning, allowing for adaptation to the dedicated cleaning behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingliang Kang
- Swire Institute of Marine Science, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Sandra Ramirez-Calero
- Swire Institute of Marine Science, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - José Ricardo Paula
- Swire Institute of Marine Science, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR, China
- MARE - Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre & ARNET - Aquatic Research Network, Laboratório Marítimo da Guia, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Nossa Senhora Do Cabo, 939, Cascais, 2750-374, Portugal
- Departamento de Biologia Animal, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Campo Grande, 1749-016, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Yifang Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Pollution and Department of Chemistry, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, SAR, China
| | - Celia Schunter
- Swire Institute of Marine Science, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR, China.
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Pollution and Department of Chemistry, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, SAR, China.
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Kuwamura T, Sato H, Sakai Y. Comparison of mortality and feeding behavior of the false cleanerfish Aspidontus taeniatus and the lance blenny A. dussumieri regarding the effects of mimicry. J ETHOL 2023; 41:73-77. [PMID: 36406938 PMCID: PMC9666927 DOI: 10.1007/s10164-022-00769-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2022] [Accepted: 10/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Many examples of mimicry have been reported in coral reef fishes of which the most well known is the mimicry of the bluestreak cleaner wrasse, Labroides dimidiatus by the false cleanerfish, Aspidontus taeniatus. To examine the effect of protective and aggressive mimicry of A. taeniatus, mortality and feeding behavior were compared with those of the non-mimic lance blenny, Aspidontus dussumieri, by field observations on the coral reefs of Miyako Island, Okinawa, southern Japan. Survival rate of A. taeniatus was more than twice higher than that of A. dussumieri, but the detected differences were not significant, and the effect of protective mimicry could not be determined. The benthic foods common to both species (the tubeworm, Spirobranchus giganteus, and the boring clam, Tridacna crocea) were very scarce in the study sites, and the feeding behavior of the two species was clearly different: A. dussumieri pecked at the bottom substrate, whereas A. taeniatus fed on fish fins and eggs of damselfish, regardless of body size. Our findings are the first documented evidence of the effect of aggressive mimicry on biting fish fins in relation to the availability of other foods not only in small but also in large A. taeniatus. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10164-022-00769-8.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tetsuo Kuwamura
- School of International Liberal Studies, Chukyo University, Nagoya, 466-8666 Japan ,Faculty of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Chukyo University, Nagoya, 466-8666 Japan ,Institute for Research in Social Science, Advanced Collaborative Research Organization of Chukyo University, Nagoya, 466-8666 Japan
| | - Hajime Sato
- Graduate School of Integrated Sciences for Life, Hiroshima University, Higashi-Hiroshima, 739-8528 Japan
| | - Yoichi Sakai
- Graduate School of Integrated Sciences for Life, Hiroshima University, Higashi-Hiroshima, 739-8528 Japan
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3
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Dunkley K, Ward AJW, Perkins SE, Cable J. To clean or not to clean: Cleaning mutualism breakdown in a tidal environment. Ecol Evol 2020; 10:3043-3054. [PMID: 32211175 PMCID: PMC7083704 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.6120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2019] [Revised: 01/29/2020] [Accepted: 01/30/2020] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
The dynamics and prevalence of mutualistic interactions, which are responsible for the maintenance and structuring of all ecological communities, are vulnerable to changes in abiotic and biotic environmental conditions. Mutualistic outcomes can quickly shift from cooperation to conflict, but it unclear how resilient and stable mutualistic outcomes are to more variable conditions. Tidally controlled coral atoll lagoons that experience extreme diurnal environmental shifts thus provide a model from which to test plasticity in mutualistic behavior of dedicated (formerly obligate) cleaner fish, which acquire all their food resources through client interactions. Here, we investigated cleaning patterns of a model cleaner fish species, the bluestreak wrasse (Labroides dimidiatus), in an isolated tidal lagoon on the Great Barrier Reef. Under tidally restricted conditions, uniquely both adults and juveniles were part-time facultative cleaners, pecking on Isopora palifera coral. The mutualism was not completely abandoned, with adults also wandering across the reef in search of clients, rather than waiting at fixed site cleaning stations, a behavior not yet observed at any other reef. Contrary to well-established patterns for this cleaner, juveniles appeared to exploit the system, by biting ("cheating") their clients more frequently than adults. We show for the first time, that within this variable tidal environment, where mutualistic cleaning might not represent a stable food source, the prevalence and dynamics of this mutualism may be breaking down (through increased cheating and partial abandonment). Environmental variability could thus reduce the pervasiveness of mutualisms within our ecosystems, ultimately reducing the stability of the system.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ashley J W Ward
- School of Biological Sciences The University of Sydney Sydney NSW Australia
| | | | - Jo Cable
- School of Biosciences Cardiff University Cardiff UK
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4
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Gingins S, Marcadier F, Wismer S, Krattinger O, Quattrini F, Bshary R, Binning SA. The performance of cleaner wrasse, Labroides dimidiatus, in a reversal learning task varies across experimental paradigms. PeerJ 2018; 6:e4745. [PMID: 29761057 PMCID: PMC5949057 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.4745] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2017] [Accepted: 04/20/2018] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Testing performance in controlled laboratory experiments is a powerful tool for understanding the extent and evolution of cognitive abilities in non-human animals. However, cognitive testing is prone to a number of potential biases, which, if unnoticed or unaccounted for, may affect the conclusions drawn. We examined whether slight modifications to the experimental procedure and apparatus used in a spatial task and reversal learning task affected performance outcomes in the bluestreak cleaner wrasse, Labroides dimidiatus (hereafter “cleaners”). Using two-alternative forced-choice tests, fish had to learn to associate a food reward with a side (left or right) in their holding aquarium. Individuals were tested in one of four experimental treatments that differed slightly in procedure and/or physical set-up. Cleaners from all four treatment groups were equally able to solve the initial spatial task. However, groups differed in their ability to solve the reversal learning task: no individuals solved the reversal task when tested in small tanks with a transparent partition separating the two options, whereas over 50% of individuals solved the task when performed in a larger tank, or with an opaque partition. These results clearly show that seemingly insignificant details to the experimental set-up matter when testing performance in a spatial task and might significantly influence the outcome of experiments. These results echo previous calls for researchers to exercise caution when designing methodologies for cognition tasks to avoid misinterpretations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon Gingins
- Institut de Biologie, Université de Neuchâtel, Neuchâtel, Switzerland.,Department of Collective Behaviour, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Radolfzell, Germany.,Department of Biology, Universität Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | | | - Sharon Wismer
- Institut de Biologie, Université de Neuchâtel, Neuchâtel, Switzerland.,College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, Australia
| | - Océane Krattinger
- Institut de Biologie, Université de Neuchâtel, Neuchâtel, Switzerland
| | - Fausto Quattrini
- Institut de Biologie, Université de Neuchâtel, Neuchâtel, Switzerland
| | - Redouan Bshary
- Institut de Biologie, Université de Neuchâtel, Neuchâtel, Switzerland
| | - Sandra A Binning
- Institut de Biologie, Université de Neuchâtel, Neuchâtel, Switzerland.,Département de sciences biologiques, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
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Hansen MJ, O'Leary PM, Ward AJW. Interactions between Plagiotremus spp., Labroides dimidiatus and their clients: evidence for behavioural niche partitioning. J Fish Biol 2017; 90:424-434. [PMID: 27730638 DOI: 10.1111/jfb.13165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2015] [Accepted: 08/29/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
This study employed community analysis and behavioural field observations to explore the inter-specific interactions between fangblenny species (Plagiotremus spp.), the cleaner wrasse Labroides dimidiatus and their target species and found that the presence of Plagiotremus spp. did not affect the total amount that L. dimidiatus cleaned but it did reduce the amount L. dimidiatus cleaned key prey species of the Plagiotremus spp. The behavioural interactions between adult L. dimidiatus and their clients changed in response to the presence of Plagiotremus spp., but the results suggested the potential cost of Plagiotremus spp. on L. dimidiatus may be offset by behavioural niche partitioning.
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Affiliation(s)
- M J Hansen
- Animal Behaviour Lab, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia
| | - P M O'Leary
- Animal Behaviour Lab, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia
| | - A J W Ward
- Animal Behaviour Lab, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia
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Prétôt L, Bshary R, Brosnan SF. Comparing species decisions in a dichotomous choice task: adjusting task parameters improves performance in monkeys. Anim Cogn 2016; 19:819-34. [PMID: 27086302 DOI: 10.1007/s10071-016-0981-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2015] [Revised: 03/11/2016] [Accepted: 03/30/2016] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
In comparative psychology, both similarities and differences among species are studied to better understand the evolution of their behavior. To do so, we first test species in tasks using similar procedures, but if differences are found, it is important to determine their underlying cause(s) (e.g., are they due to ecology, cognitive ability, an artifact of the study, and/or some other factor?). In our previous work, primates performed unexpectedly poorly on an apparently simple two-choice discrimination task based on the natural behavior of cleaner fish, while the fish did quite well. In this task, if the subjects first chose one of the options (ephemeral) they received both food items, but if they chose the other (permanent) option first, the ephemeral option disappeared. Here, we test several proposed explanations for primates' relatively poorer performance. In Study 1, we used a computerized paradigm that differed from the previous test by removing interaction with human experimenters, which may be distracting, and providing a more standardized testing environment. In Study 2, we adapted the computerized paradigm from Study 1 to be more relevant to primate ecology. Monkeys' overall performance in these adapted tasks matched the performance of the fish in the original study, showing that with the appropriate modifications they can solve the task. We discuss these results in light of comparative research, which requires balancing procedural similarity with considerations of how the details of the task or the context may influence how different species perceive and solve tasks differently.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laurent Prétôt
- Department of Psychology, Language Research Center, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, 30303-5010, USA.
| | - Redouan Bshary
- Department of Behavioral Ecology, University of Neuchâtel, 2000, Neuchâtel, Switzerland
| | - Sarah F Brosnan
- Department of Psychology, Language Research Center, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, 30303-5010, USA
- Department of Philosophy and Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, USA
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7
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Wismer S, Grutter A, Bshary R. Generalized rule application in bluestreak cleaner wrasse ( Labroides dimidiatus): using predator species as social tools to reduce punishment. Anim Cogn 2016; 19:769-78. [PMID: 27016339 DOI: 10.1007/s10071-016-0975-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2015] [Revised: 03/02/2016] [Accepted: 03/04/2016] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Generalized rule application promotes flexible behavior by allowing individuals to adjust quickly to environmental changes through generalization of previous learning. Here, we show that bluestreak 'cleaner' wrasse (Labroides dimidiatus) uses generalized rule application in their use of predators as social tools against punishing reef fish clients. Punishment occurs as cleaners do not only remove ectoparasites from clients, but prefer to feed on client mucus (constituting cheating). We tested for generalized rule application in a series of experiments, starting by training cleaners to approach one of two fish models in order to evade punishment (by chasing) from a 'cheated' client model. Cleaners learned this task only if the safe haven was a predator model. During consecutive exposure to pairs of novel species, including exotic models, cleaners demonstrated generalization of the 'predators-are-safe-havens' rule by rapidly satisfying learning criteria. However, cleaners were not able to generalize to a 'one-of-two-stimuli-presents-a-safe-haven' rule, as they failed to solve the task when confronted with either two harmless fish models or two predator models. Our results emphasize the importance of ecologically relevant experiments to uncover complex cognitive processes in non-human animals, like generalized rule learning in the context of social tool use in a fish.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sharon Wismer
- The Institute of Biology, The University of Neuchâtel, 2000, Neuchâtel, Switzerland.
| | - Alexandra Grutter
- The School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Redouan Bshary
- The Institute of Biology, The University of Neuchâtel, 2000, Neuchâtel, Switzerland
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8
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Wagner ELES, Roche DG, Binning SA, Wismer S, Bshary R. Temporal comparison and predictors of fish species abundance and richness on undisturbed coral reef patches. PeerJ 2015; 3:e1459. [PMID: 26644988 PMCID: PMC4671157 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.1459] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2015] [Accepted: 11/10/2015] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Large disturbances can cause rapid degradation of coral reef communities, but what baseline changes in species assemblages occur on undisturbed reefs through time? We surveyed live coral cover, reef fish abundance and fish species richness in 1997 and again in 2007 on 47 fringing patch reefs of varying size and depth at Mersa Bareika, Ras Mohammed National Park, Egypt. No major human or natural disturbance event occurred between these two survey periods in this remote protected area. In the absence of large disturbances, we found that live coral cover, reef fish abundance and fish species richness did not differ in 1997 compared to 2007. Fish abundance and species richness on patches was largely related to the presence of shelters (caves and/or holes), live coral cover and patch size (volume). The presence of the ectoparasite-eating cleaner wrasse, Labroides dimidiatus, was also positively related to fish species richness. Our results underscore the importance of physical reef characteristics, such as patch size and shelter availability, in addition to biotic characteristics, such as live coral cover and cleaner wrasse abundance, in supporting reef fish species richness and abundance through time in a relatively undisturbed and understudied region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena L E S Wagner
- Institute of Biology, University of Neuchâtel, Neuchâtel, NE, Switzerland
| | - Dominique G Roche
- Institute of Biology, University of Neuchâtel, Neuchâtel, NE, Switzerland
| | - Sandra A Binning
- Institute of Biology, University of Neuchâtel, Neuchâtel, NE, Switzerland
| | - Sharon Wismer
- Institute of Biology, University of Neuchâtel, Neuchâtel, NE, Switzerland
| | - Redouan Bshary
- Institute of Biology, University of Neuchâtel, Neuchâtel, NE, Switzerland
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Soares MC, Cardoso SC, Grutter AS, Oliveira RF, Bshary R. Cortisol mediates cleaner wrasse switch from cooperation to cheating and tactical deception. Horm Behav 2014; 66:346-50. [PMID: 24952103 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2014.06.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2014] [Revised: 06/07/2014] [Accepted: 06/10/2014] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Recent empirical research, mostly done on humans, recognizes that individuals' physiological state affects levels of cooperation. An individual's internal state may affect the payoffs of behavioural alternatives, which in turn could influence the decision to either cooperate or to defect. However, little is known about the physiology underlying condition dependent cooperation. Here, we demonstrate that shifts in cortisol levels affect levels of cooperation in wild cleaner wrasse Labroides dimidiatus. These cleaners cooperate by removing ectoparasites from visiting 'client' reef fishes but prefer to eat client mucus, which constitutes cheating. We exogenously administrated one of three different compounds to adults, that is, (a) cortisol, (b) glucocorticoid receptor antagonist mifepristone RU486 or (c) sham (saline), and observed their cleaning behaviour during the following 45min. The effects of cortisol match an earlier observational study that first described the existence of "cheating" cleaners: such cleaners provide small clients with more tactile stimulation with their pectoral and pelvic fins, a behaviour that attracts larger clients that are then bitten to obtain mucus. Blocking glucocorticoid receptors led to more tactile stimulation to large clients. As energy demands and associated cortisol concentration level shifts affect cleaner wrasse behavioural patterns, cortisol potentially offers a general mechanism for condition dependent cooperation in vertebrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta C Soares
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Universidade do Porto, Campus Agrário de Vairão, Vairão 4485-661, Portugal.
| | - Sónia C Cardoso
- Unidade de Investigação em Eco-Etologia, ISPA-Instituto Universitário, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Alexandra S Grutter
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Rui F Oliveira
- Unidade de Investigação em Eco-Etologia, ISPA-Instituto Universitário, Lisboa, Portugal; Champalimaud Neuroscience Programme, Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Redouan Bshary
- Université de Neuchâtel, Institut de Biologie, Eco-Ethologie, Rue Emilie-Argand 11, 2000 Neuchâtel, Switzerland
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