1
|
Tyers AM, Cooke GM, Turner GF. Rare morph Lake Malawi mbuna cichlids benefit from reduced aggression from con- and hetero-specifics. J Evol Biol 2021; 34:1678-1690. [PMID: 34528321 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.13929] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2021] [Revised: 08/25/2021] [Accepted: 08/31/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Balancing selection is important for the maintenance of polymorphism as it can prevent either fixation of one morph through directional selection or genetic drift, or speciation by disruptive selection. Polychromatism, the presence of multiple genetically determined colour phenotypes, can be maintained if the fitness of alternative morphs depends on the relative frequency in a population. In aggressive species, negative frequency-dependent antagonism can prevent an increase in the frequency of rare morphs as they would only benefit from increased fitness while they are rare. Heterospecific aggression is common in nature and has the potential to contribute to rare morph advantage. Here we carry out field observations and laboratory aggression experiments with mbuna cichlids from Lake Malawi, to investigate the role of con- and heterospecific aggression in the maintenance of polychromatism and identify benefits to rare morphs which are likely to result from reduced aggression. We hypothesize that rare morph individuals receive less aggression than common morph individuals and therefore have an ecological advantage. Within species we found that males and females bias aggression towards their own morph, adding to the evidence that inherent own-morph aggression biases can contribute to balancing selection. Over-representation of rare morph territory owners may be influenced by two factors; higher tolerance of different morph individuals as neighbours, and the ability of rare morphs to spend more time feeding. Reduced aggression to rare morph individuals by heterospecifics may also contribute to rare morph advantage.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Gavan M Cooke
- School of Biological Sciences, Bangor University, Bangor, UK
| | - George F Turner
- School of Biological Sciences, Bangor University, Bangor, UK
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Oliveira RF, Bshary R. Expanding the concept of social behavior to interspecific interactions. Ethology 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.13194] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Rui F. Oliveira
- Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência Oeiras Portugal
- ISPA – Instituto Universitário Lisboa Portugal
- Champalimaud Neuroscience Programme Lisboa Portugal
| | - Redouan Bshary
- Institute of Biology University of Neuchâtel Neuchâtel Switzerland
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Ziegelbecker A, Remele K, Pfeifhofer HW, Sefc KM. Wasteful carotenoid coloration and its effects on territorial behavior in a cichlid fish. HYDROBIOLOGIA 2020; 848:3683-3698. [PMID: 34720169 PMCID: PMC8549929 DOI: 10.1007/s10750-020-04354-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2020] [Revised: 06/30/2020] [Accepted: 07/08/2020] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The famously diverse body coloration of cichlid fish serves communicative functions in mating and social interactions including competition for resources. Here, we examined the effects of a color pattern trait-the width of a yellow bar on a black body-on territorial competition in males and females of a color variant ("Ikola") of the Lake Tanganyika cichlid Tropheus. First, measuring integumentary carotenoid concentrations in the yellow and black body regions, we established that wider yellow bars require more carotenoids allocated to body coloration. However, we also detected high carotenoid concentrations in the black body regions (> 100 µg/g fresh skin), raising questions about the function of non-displayed integumentary carotenoids. Behavioral experiments showed that fish with wider bars were quicker to explore an unfamiliar area of the tank. In experiments including presentations of fish dummies, the bar width of 'territorial' dummies had no effect on the latency time which test fish took to intrude into the dummies' territories. However, male test fish performed fewer aggressive acts against wide-barred than against narrow-barred dummy competitors. Our results suggest that intimidation by wide bars as well as correlations between bar width and explorative behavior may contribute to mediating success in territorial Tropheus "Ikola".
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Klaus Remele
- Institute of Biology, University of Graz, Schubertstraße 51, 8010 Graz, Austria
| | | | - Kristina M. Sefc
- Institute of Biology, University of Graz, Universitätsplatz 2, 8010 Graz, Austria
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Lehtonen TK. Aggression towards shared enemies by heterospecific and conspecific cichlid fish neighbours. Oecologia 2019; 191:359-368. [PMID: 31473811 PMCID: PMC6763407 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-019-04483-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2018] [Accepted: 08/05/2019] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Successful territory defence is a prerequisite for reproduction across many taxa, and often highly sensitive to the actions of territorial neighbours. Nevertheless, to date, assessments of the significance of the behaviour of heterospecific neighbours have been infrequent and taxonomically restricted. In this field study, I examined the importance of both heterospecific and conspecific neighbours in a biparental fish, the convict cichlid, Amatitlania siquia. This was done by assessing the colonisation rates of vacant territories, the rates of aggression by the territory holders, and the overall rates of aggression towards intruders, in treatments that controlled the proximity of both neighbour types. Convict cichlid pairs colonised vacant nesting resources (territory locations) at similar rates independent of the proximity of heterospecific (moga, Hypsophrys nicaraguensis) or conspecific neighbours. However, a model of sympatric cichlid intruder was subjected to considerably higher overall levels of aggression when mogas were nearby. In contrast, the proximity of conspecifics did not have a significant effect on the overall aggression towards the intruder. These results suggest that previously demonstrated higher survival of convict cichlid broods in close proximity of mogas may be driven by aggression towards shared enemies. No conclusive evidence was found regarding whether mogas also influence convict cichlids' investment into anti-intruder aggression: the results show a marginally non-significant trend, and a moderately large effect size, to the direction of a lower investment in mogas', but not conspecifics', proximity. More generally, heterospecific neighbours may provide protective benefits in a wider range of ecological settings than commonly considered.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Topi K Lehtonen
- Ecology and Genetics Research Unit, Faculty of Science, University of Oulu, Post Box 8000, 90014, Oulu, Finland.
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Monash, VIC, 3800, Australia.
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Sowersby W, Lehtonen TK, Wong BBM. Threat sensitive adjustment of aggression by males and females in a biparental cichlid. Behav Ecol 2018. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/ary037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Will Sowersby
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Topi K Lehtonen
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Biology, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
- Department of Biosciences, Åbo Akademi University, Turku, Finland
| | - Bob B M Wong
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Lackey ACR, Martin MD, Tinghitella RM. Male competition and speciation: expanding our framework for speciation by sexual selection. Curr Zool 2018; 64:69-73. [PMID: 29492040 PMCID: PMC5809040 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zoy009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Alycia C R Lackey
- Department of Biological Sciences, Binghamton University, Binghamton, NY 13902, USA
| | - Michael D Martin
- Department of Biology, Oxford College of Emory University, Oxford, GA 30054, USA
| | - Robin M Tinghitella
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Denver, Denver, CO 80208, USA
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Tinghitella RM, Lackey ACR, Martin M, Dijkstra PD, Drury JP, Heathcote R, Keagy J, Scordato ESC, Tyers AM. On the role of male competition in speciation: a review and research agenda. Behav Ecol 2017. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arx151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
| | - Alycia C R Lackey
- Department of Biological Sciences, Watershed Studies Institute, Murray State University, Murray, KY, USA
| | - Michael Martin
- Department of Biology, Oxford College of Emory University, Oxford, GA, USA
| | - Peter D Dijkstra
- Department of Biology, Central Michigan University, Mount Pleasant, MI, USA
| | - Jonathan P Drury
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Robert Heathcote
- Centre for Research in Animal Behaviour, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
| | - Jason Keagy
- Department of Animal Biology, School of Integrative Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, USA
| | - Elizabeth S C Scordato
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - Alexandra M Tyers
- Molecular Ecology and Fisheries Genetics Laboratory, School of Biological Sciences, Bangor, Gwynedd,, Wales, UK
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Tinghitella RM, Lehto WR, Lierheimer VF. Color and behavior differently predict competitive outcomes for divergent stickleback color morphs. Curr Zool 2017; 64:115-123. [PMID: 29492044 PMCID: PMC5809037 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zox070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2017] [Accepted: 11/16/2017] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Our knowledge of how male competition contributes to speciation is dominated by investigations of competition between within-species morphs or closely related species that differ in conspicuous traits expressed during the breeding season (e.g. color, song). In such studies, it is important to consider the manner in which putatively sexually selected traits influence the outcome of competitive interactions within and between types because these traits can communicate information about competitor quality and may not be utilized by homotypic and heterotypic receivers in the same way. We studied the roles of breeding color and aggressive behaviors in competition within and between two divergent threespine stickleback Gasterosteus aculeatus color types. Our previous work in this system showed that the switch from red to black breeding coloration is associated with changes in male competition biases. Here, we find that red and black males also use different currencies in competition. Winners of both color types performed more aggressive behaviors than losers, regardless of whether the competitor was of the same or opposite color type. But breeding color differently predicted competitive outcomes for red and black males. Males who were redder at the start of competition were more likely to win when paired with homotypic competitors and less likely to win when paired with heterotypic competitors. In contrast, black color, though expressed in the breeding season and condition dependent, was unrelated to competitive outcomes. Placing questions about the role of male competition in speciation in a sexual signal evolution framework may provide insight into the "why and how" of aggression biases and asymmetries in competitive ability between closely related morphs and species.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Robin M Tinghitella
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Denver, 2199 S. University Blvd, Denver, CO 80208, USA
| | - Whitley R Lehto
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Denver, 2199 S. University Blvd, Denver, CO 80208, USA
| | - V Faith Lierheimer
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Denver, 2199 S. University Blvd, Denver, CO 80208, USA
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Lopez LK, Davis AR, Wong MYL. Behavioral interactions under multiple stressors: temperature and salinity mediate aggression between an invasive and a native fish. Biol Invasions 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/s10530-017-1552-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
|
10
|
Lehtonen TK. Parental coordination with respect to color polymorphism in a crater lake fish. Behav Ecol 2017. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arx052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
|
11
|
Lehtonen TK, Wong BB. Males are quicker to adjust aggression towards heterospecific intruders in a cichlid fish. Anim Behav 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2016.12.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
|
12
|
Lehtonen TK, Gagnon K, Sowersby W, Wong BBM. Allopatry, competitor recognition and heterospecific aggression in crater lake cichlids. BMC Evol Biol 2016; 16:3. [PMID: 26729482 PMCID: PMC4700676 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-015-0569-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2015] [Accepted: 12/14/2015] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Aggressive behaviour can have significant evolutionary consequences–not only within species, but also in the context of heterospecific interactions. Here, we carried out an experimental field study to investigate the importance of phenotypic similarity on levels of aggression between species whilst controlling for familiarity effects using manipulated allopatric stimuli. Specifically, we investigated aggressive responses of territory holding males and females in two species of Neotropical cichlid fish, Amphilophus sagittae and Hypsophrys nicaraguensis, that differ in their phenotypic similarity to our allopatric stimulus species, Amphilophus astorquii. Results We found that, independent of phenotypic similarity (and correlated phylogenetic proximity) between the territory holders and intruder, territorial aggression was not adjusted in relation to allopatric intruder colour markings that are associated with different levels of threat and known to provoke different responses in a sympatric setting. We also found that males and females did not differ in their overall patterns of aggression adjustment towards intruder cues. Nevertheless, the two focal species, which share the same breeding grounds and external threats, exhibited different sex roles in breeding territory defence. Conclusion Together with earlier studies assessing hetrospecific aggression in sympatry, our current results highlight the importance of coevolution and learning in species interactions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Topi K Lehtonen
- Department of Biology, University of Turku, Turku, Finland. .,School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia.
| | - Karine Gagnon
- Department of Biology, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Will Sowersby
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Bob B M Wong
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
| |
Collapse
|