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Zimmermann H, Bose APH, Eisner H, Henshaw JM, Ziegelbecker A, Richter F, Bračun S, Katongo C, Fritzsche K, Sefc KM. Seasonal variation in cuckoldry rates in the socially monogamous cichlid fish Variabilichromis moorii. HYDROBIOLOGIA 2022; 850:2371-2383. [PMID: 37325485 PMCID: PMC10261196 DOI: 10.1007/s10750-022-05042-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2022] [Revised: 09/20/2022] [Accepted: 09/27/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Mating patterns in animal populations can respond to environmental conditions and consequently vary across time. To examine this variation in nature, studies must include temporal replicates from the same population. Here, we report temporal variation in genetic parentage in the socially monogamous cichlid Variabilichromis moorii from Lake Tanganyika, using samples of broods and their brood-tending parents that were collected across five field trips from the same study population. The sampled broods were either spawned during the dry season (three field trips) or during the rainy season (two trips). In all seasons, we detected substantial rates of extra-pair paternity, which were ascribed to cuckoldry by bachelor males. Paternity shares of brood-tending males were consistently higher, and the numbers of sires per brood were consistently lower, in broods that were spawned in the dry seasons compared to broods from the rainy seasons. In contrast, the strength of size-assortative pairing in our V. moorii population did not vary temporally. Seasonal fluctuations in environmental conditions, such as water turbidity, are proposed as a mechanism behind variable cuckolder pressure. Our data demonstrate the utility of long-term monitoring to improve our understanding of animal mating patterns. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10750-022-05042-0.
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Affiliation(s)
- Holger Zimmermann
- Institute of Biology, University of Graz, Universitätsplatz 2, 8010 Graz, Austria
- Present Address: Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Aneesh P. H. Bose
- Institute of Biology, University of Graz, Universitätsplatz 2, 8010 Graz, Austria
- Present Address: Department of Wildlife, Fish and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), 90183 Umeå, Sweden
| | - Helgit Eisner
- Institute of Biology, University of Graz, Universitätsplatz 2, 8010 Graz, Austria
- Present Address: Institute of Molecular Biosciences, University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Jonathan M. Henshaw
- Institute of Biology, University of Graz, Universitätsplatz 2, 8010 Graz, Austria
- Present Address: Institute of Biology I, University of Freiburg, Hauptstraße 1, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | | | - Florian Richter
- Institute of Biology, University of Graz, Universitätsplatz 2, 8010 Graz, Austria
| | - Sandra Bračun
- Institute of Biology, University of Graz, Universitätsplatz 2, 8010 Graz, Austria
| | - Cyprian Katongo
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Zambia, Great East Road Campus, P.O. Box 32379, Lusaka, Zambia
| | - Karoline Fritzsche
- Institute of Biology, University of Graz, Universitätsplatz 2, 8010 Graz, Austria
- Present Address: Institute of Biology I, University of Freiburg, Hauptstraße 1, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Kristina M. Sefc
- Institute of Biology, University of Graz, Universitätsplatz 2, 8010 Graz, Austria
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Groth M, Łuczaj W, Dunaj-Małyszko J, Skrzydlewska E, Moniuszko-Malinowska A. Differences in the plasma phospholipid profile of patients infected with tick-borne encephalitis virus and co-infected with bacteria. Sci Rep 2022; 12:9538. [PMID: 35680957 PMCID: PMC9184562 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-13765-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2022] [Accepted: 05/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) is an infectious viral disease, the pathogenesis of which is still not fully understood. Additionally, TBE can be complicated by co-infections with various bacteria that are also transmitted by ticks, which can affect the proper diagnosis and treatment. Therefore, the aim of the study was to evaluate changes in the plasma phospholipid (PL) and ceramide (CER) profile of patients with TBE and patients with bacterial co-infection (B. burgdorferi or A. phagocytophilum) in relation to healthy subjects. For this purpose, a high-resolution LC-QTOF-MS/MS platform as well as univariate and multivariate statistics were used. The results of this study showed that the levels of phosphatidylcholines (PC) and lysophosphatidylcholines (LPC) species were increased in the plasma of patients with TBE and patients with TBE co-infected with bacteria. On the other hand, observed differences in the content of phosphoethanolamines (PE) and sphingomyelins (SM) make it possible to distinguish TBE patients from patients with co-infections. The opposite direction of changes was also observed in the CER content. This study showed significant modifications to the metabolic pathways of linoleic (LA) and arachidonic acid (AA), as confirmed by the quantitative analysis of these fatty acids. The obtained results allow to distinguish the pathomechanism of TBE from TBE with bacterial co-infection, and consequently may improve the diagnostic process and enable more efficient pharmacotherapy against both pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monika Groth
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Neuroinfections, Medical University of Białystok, Żurawia 14, 15-540, Białystok, Poland
| | - Wojciech Łuczaj
- Department of Analytical Chemistry, Medical University of Bialystok, Mickiewicza 2d, 15-222, Bialystok, Poland.
| | - Justyna Dunaj-Małyszko
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Neuroinfections, Medical University of Białystok, Żurawia 14, 15-540, Białystok, Poland
| | - Elżbieta Skrzydlewska
- Department of Analytical Chemistry, Medical University of Bialystok, Mickiewicza 2d, 15-222, Bialystok, Poland
| | - Anna Moniuszko-Malinowska
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Neuroinfections, Medical University of Białystok, Żurawia 14, 15-540, Białystok, Poland
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Satoh S, Nishida Y, Saeki T, Kawasaka K, Kohda M, Awata S. The functional role of sibling aggression and “best of a bad job” strategies in cichlid juveniles. Behav Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/araa150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Siblings often compete for limited resources, such as food provided by their parents. However, although several functions of nonlethal sibling (nonsiblicidal) aggression have been proposed, there is currently little empirical evidence for these, apart from food monopolization. Here, we investigated the functions of nonlethal sibling aggression in the biparental-caring territorial herbivorous cichlid Varibilichromis moorii. We found that the juveniles of this species are highly aggressive and that larger juveniles are more aggressive toward their smaller siblings. Larger juveniles feed on algae more frequently than smaller siblings, thereby indicating a dominance hierarchy. Sibling aggression decreased when algae in the nest was experimentally removed. Furthermore, the removal of smaller juveniles decreased sibling aggression among the remaining larger juveniles, whereas the removal of larger juveniles increased aggression among smaller juveniles. The algal feeding rate of juveniles only increased when larger individuals were removed from the nest. Moreover, larger juveniles attained higher growth rates and remained in natal nests longer than smaller individuals. Our results indicate that sibling aggression may facilitate the monopolization of resources by larger juveniles and extend the parental care period. Interestingly, a small subset of juveniles was observed to migrate to other nests. These juveniles were larger than those of the host brood, and their growth rate increased within the new nests. We suggest that subordinate juveniles may disperse from natal nests and sneak into new nests to enhance their rank, which may represent a novel example of a “best of a bad job” strategy associated with sibling competition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shun Satoh
- Department of Biology and Geosciences, Graduate School of Science, Osaka City University, Sumiyoshi, Osaka, Japan
- Department of Evolutionary Studies of Biosystems, The Graduate University for Advanced Studies, Miura, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Yuusuke Nishida
- Department of Biology and Geosciences, Graduate School of Science, Osaka City University, Sumiyoshi, Osaka, Japan
| | - Taiga Saeki
- Department of Biology and Geosciences, Graduate School of Science, Osaka City University, Sumiyoshi, Osaka, Japan
| | - Kento Kawasaka
- Department of Biology and Geosciences, Graduate School of Science, Osaka City University, Sumiyoshi, Osaka, Japan
| | - Masanori Kohda
- Department of Biology and Geosciences, Graduate School of Science, Osaka City University, Sumiyoshi, Osaka, Japan
| | - Satoshi Awata
- Department of Biology and Geosciences, Graduate School of Science, Osaka City University, Sumiyoshi, Osaka, Japan
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Rueger T, Buston PM, Bogdanowicz SM, Wong MY. Genetic relatedness in social groups of the emerald coral goby Paragobiodon xanthosoma creates potential for weak kin selection. Mol Ecol 2021; 30:1311-1321. [PMID: 33459427 DOI: 10.1111/mec.15809] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2020] [Revised: 12/22/2020] [Accepted: 01/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Animals forming social groups that include breeders and nonbreeders present evolutionary paradoxes; why do breeders tolerate nonbreeders? And why do nonbreeders tolerate their situation? Both paradoxes are often explained with kin selection. Kin selection is, however, assumed to play little or no role in social group formation of marine organisms with dispersive larval phases. Yet, in some marine organisms, recent evidence suggests small-scale patterns of relatedness, meaning that this assumption must always be tested. Here, we investigated the genetic relatedness of social groups of the emerald coral goby, Paragobiodon xanthosoma. We genotyped 73 individuals from 16 groups in Kimbe Bay, Papua New Guinea, at 20 microsatellite loci and estimated pairwise relatedness among all individuals. We found that estimated pairwise relatedness among individuals within groups was significantly higher than the pairwise relatedness among individuals from the same reef, and pairwise relatedness among individuals from the same reef was significantly higher than the pairwise relatedness among individuals from different reefs. This spatial signature suggests that there may be very limited dispersal in this species. The slightly positive relatedness within groups creates the potential for weak kin selection, which may help to resolve the paradox of why breeders tolerate subordinates in P. xanthosoma. The other paradox, why nonbreeders tolerate their situation, is better explained by alternative hypotheses such as territory inheritance, and ecological and social constraints. We show that even in marine animals with dispersive larval phases, kin selection needs to be considered to explain the evolution of complex social groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Theresa Rueger
- Department of Biology and Marine Program, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA.,College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Penryn, UK
| | - Peter M Buston
- Department of Biology and Marine Program, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Steven M Bogdanowicz
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Marian Y Wong
- Centre for Sustainable Ecosystems Solutions, School of Biological Sciences, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia
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Male condition and group heterogeneity predict extra-group paternity in a Neotropical bat. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-020-02919-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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Gow EA, Arcese P, Dagenais D, Sardell RJ, Wilson S, Reid JM. Testing predictions of inclusive fitness theory in inbreeding relatives with biparental care. Proc Biol Sci 2019; 286:20191933. [PMID: 31795864 PMCID: PMC6939262 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2019.1933] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Inclusive fitness theory predicts that parental care will vary with relatedness between potentially caring parents and offspring, potentially shaping mating system evolution. Systems with extra-pair paternity (EPP), and hence variable parent–brood relatedness, provide valuable opportunities to test this prediction. However, existing theoretical and empirical studies assume that a focal male is either an offspring's father with no inbreeding, or is completely unrelated. We highlight that this simple dichotomy does not hold given reproductive interactions among relatives, complicating the effect of EPP on parent–brood relatedness yet providing new opportunities to test inclusive fitness theory. Accordingly, we tested hierarchical hypotheses relating parental feeding rate to parent–brood relatedness, parent kinship and inbreeding, using song sparrows (Melospiza melodia) experiencing natural variation in relatedness. As predicted, male and female feeding rates increased with relatedness to a dependent brood, even controlling for brood size. Male feeding rate tended to decrease as paternity loss increased, and increased with increasing kinship and hence inbreeding between socially paired mates. We thereby demonstrate that variation in a key component of parental care concurs with subtle predictions from inclusive fitness theory. We additionally highlight that such effects can depend on the underlying social mating system, potentially generating status-specific costs of extra-pair reproduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth A Gow
- Department of Forest and Conservation Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Peter Arcese
- Department of Forest and Conservation Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Danielle Dagenais
- Natural Resources and Environmental Studies, University of Northern British Columbia, Prince George, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Rebecca J Sardell
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, Scotland
| | - Scott Wilson
- Department of Forest and Conservation Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.,National Wildlife Research Centre, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Jane M Reid
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, Scotland.,Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
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Zimmermann H, Fritzsche K, Henshaw JM, Katongo C, Banda T, Makasa L, Sefc KM, Bose APH. Nest defense in the face of cuckoldry: evolutionary rather than facultative adaptation to chronic paternity loss. BMC Evol Biol 2019; 19:200. [PMID: 31684856 PMCID: PMC6829816 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-019-1528-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2019] [Accepted: 10/17/2019] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Raising unrelated offspring is typically wasteful of parental resources and so individuals are expected to reduce or maintain low levels of parental effort when their parentage is low. This can involve facultative, flexible adjustments of parental care to cues of lost parentage in the current brood, stabilizing selection for a low level of paternal investment, or an evolutionary reduction in parental investment in response to chronically low parentage. Results We studied parental care in Variabilichromis moorii, a socially monogamous, biparental cichlid fish, whose mating system is characterized by frequent cuckoldry and whose primary form of parental care is offspring defense. We combine field observations with genetic parentage analyses to show that while both parents defend their nest against intruding con- and hetero-specifics, males and females may do so for different reasons. Males in the study group (30 breeding pairs) sired 0–100% (median 83%) of the fry in their nests. Males defended less against immediate threats to the offspring, and more against threats to their territories, which are essential for the males’ future reproductive success. Males also showed no clear relationship between their share of defense and their paternity of the brood. Females, on the other hand, were related to nearly all the offspring under their care, and defended almost equally against all types of threats. Conclusion Overall, males contributed less to defense than females and we suggest that this asymmetry is the result of an evolutionary response by males to chronically high paternity loss in this species. Although most males in the current study group achieved high parentage in their nests, the average paternity in V. moorii, sampled across multiple seasons, is only about 55%. We highlight the importance and complexity of studying nest defense as a form of parental care in systems where defense may serve not only to protect current offspring, but also to ensure future reproductive success by maintaining a territory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Holger Zimmermann
- Institute of Biology, University of Graz, Universitätsplatz 2, 8010, Graz, Austria
| | - Karoline Fritzsche
- Institute of Biology, University of Graz, Universitätsplatz 2, 8010, Graz, Austria.,Department of Biological Sciences, University of Idaho, 875 Perimeter MS, Moscow, ID, 3051, USA
| | - Jonathan M Henshaw
- Institute of Biology, University of Graz, Universitätsplatz 2, 8010, Graz, Austria.,Department of Biological Sciences, University of Idaho, 875 Perimeter MS, Moscow, ID, 3051, USA
| | - Cyprian Katongo
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Zambia, Great East Road Campus, P.O. Box 32379, Lusaka, Zambia
| | - Taylor Banda
- Lake Tanganyika Research Unit, Department of Fisheries, Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock, P. O. Box 420055, Mpulungu, Zambia
| | - Lawrence Makasa
- Lake Tanganyika Research Unit, Department of Fisheries, Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock, P. O. Box 420055, Mpulungu, Zambia
| | - Kristina M Sefc
- Institute of Biology, University of Graz, Universitätsplatz 2, 8010, Graz, Austria.
| | - Aneesh P H Bose
- Institute of Biology, University of Graz, Universitätsplatz 2, 8010, Graz, Austria. .,Present address: Department of Collective Behaviour, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Universitätsstraße 10, 78464, Konstanz, Germany.
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Bose APH, Zimmermann H, Sefc KM. Freshwater hydrozoan blooms alter activity and behaviour of territorial cichlids in Lake Tanganyika. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2019; 6:191053. [PMID: 31827845 PMCID: PMC6894582 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.191053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2019] [Accepted: 10/09/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Blooms of gelatinous zooplankton can represent dramatic environmental perturbations for aquatic ecosystems. Yet, we still know little about how blooms impact fitness-related behaviours of fish caught within their areas of effect, especially for freshwater systems. Here, we documented the behavioural impacts of freshwater hydrozoan (Limnocnida tanganjicae) blooms on a territorial cichlid (Variabilichromis moorii), as well as on the wider community of cichlids in a shallow-water rocky habitat of Lake Tanganyika. Compared with non-bloom conditions, V. moorii individuals in the midst of blooms reduced their swimming and territory defence activities (each by approx. 50%) but not their foraging or affiliative behaviours. Despite this reduction in activity, V. moorii could not entirely avoid being stung and preferred to remain closer to the rocky substrata as opposed to the more open demersal zone. Many other fishes similarly hid among the benthic substrata, changing the composition of the fish community in the demersal zone during bloom conditions. Reductions in activity could have multiple fitness-related implications for individual fish. Establishing the consequences of these behavioural changes is important for understanding the effects of gelatinous zooplankton blooms in freshwater systems.
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