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Hiermes M, Reher S, Rick IP, Bakker TCM. Influence of lighting environment on social preferences in sticklebacks from two different photic habitats. I. mate preferences of wild-caught females. Curr Zool 2021; 67:299-308. [PMID: 34616922 PMCID: PMC8488994 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zoab008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2020] [Accepted: 01/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Ultraviolet (UV) A signals (320-400 nm) are important in mate choice in numerous species. The sensitivity for UV signals is not only assumed to be costly, but also expected to be a function of the prevailing ecological conditions. Generally, those signals are favored by selection that efficiently reach the receiver. A decisive factor for color signaling is the lighting environment, especially in aquatic habitats, as the visibility of signals, and thus costs and benefits, are instantaneously influenced by it. Although ecological aspects of color signal evolution are relatively well-studied, there is little data on specific effects of environmental UV-light conditions on signaling at these shorter wavelengths. We studied wild-caught gravid female 3-spined sticklebacks Gasterosteus aculeatus of 2 photic habitat types (tea-stained and clear-water lakes), possessing great variation in their UV transmission. In 2 treatments, tea-stained and clear-water, preferences for males viewed under UV-present (UV+) and UV-absent (UV-) conditions were tested. A preference for males under UV+ conditions was found for females from both habitat types, thus stressing the significance of UV signals in stickleback's mate choice decisions. However, females from both habitat types showed the most pronounced preferences for males under UV+ conditions under clear-water test conditions. Moreover, reflectance measurements revealed that the carotenoid-based orange-red breeding coloration in wild-caught males of both habitat types differed significantly in color intensity (higher in clear-water males) and hue (more red shifted in clear-water males) while no significant differences in UV coloration were found. The differential reflection patterns in longer wavelengths suggest that sticklebacks of both habitat types have adapted to the respective water conditions. Adaptations of UV signals in a sexual context to ambient light conditions in both behavior and coloration seem less evident.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meike Hiermes
- Institute for Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, University of Bonn, An der Immenburg 1, Bonn, 53121, Germany
| | - Stephanie Reher
- Institute for Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, University of Bonn, An der Immenburg 1, Bonn, 53121, Germany
- Institute of Zoology, Functional Ecology, University of Hamburg, Martin-Luther-King-Platz 3, Hamburg, 20146, Germany
| | - Ingolf P Rick
- Institute for Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, University of Bonn, An der Immenburg 1, Bonn, 53121, Germany
- Institute of Zoology, University of Bonn, Meckenheimer Allee 169, Bonn, 53115, Germany
| | - Theo C M Bakker
- Institute for Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, University of Bonn, An der Immenburg 1, Bonn, 53121, Germany
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Hiermes M, Marder MB, Reher S, Rick IP, Vitt S, Bakker TCM. Influence of lighting environment on social preferences in sticklebacks from two different photic habitats. II. Shoaling and mate preferences of lab-bred fishes. Curr Zool 2021; 67:309-319. [PMID: 34616923 PMCID: PMC8489012 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zoab033] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2020] [Accepted: 04/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Different environmental conditions may lead to diverse morphological, behavioral, and physiological adaptations of different populations of the same species. Lighting conditions, for example, vary vastly especially between aquatic habitats, and have been shown to elicit adaptations. The availability of short-wave ultraviolet (UV) light is especially fluctuating, as UV wavelengths are attenuated strongly depending on water properties. The island of North Uist, Scotland, comprises 2 differential habitat types, tea-stained and clear-water lakes, varying considerably in UV transmission. In previous studies, wild-caught 3-spined stickleback Gasterosteus aculeatus populations (3 populations of each habitat type) were tested with respect to their shoaling and mate preferences for fish viewed under UV-present and UV-absent conditions. The results revealed a habitat-dependent preference of UV cues during shoal choice (tea-stained populations: preference for UV-absent condition in tea-stained water; clear-water populations: no preference in clear-water) but an overall preference for UV-present conditions during mate choice. To assess genetic influences on these behavioral patterns, similar experiments were conducted with lab-bred F1-generations of the same stickleback populations that were raised in a common environment (i.e. standardized clear-water conditions). Offspring of sticklebacks from tea-stained lakes tended to prefer shoals viewed under UV-absent conditions (only in tea-stained water), while sticklebacks from clear-water lakes showed a significant preference for the shoal viewed under UV-present conditions in clear-water but not in tea-stained water. Mate-preference experiments demonstrated that females from the tea-stained lakes significantly preferred and females from the clear-water lakes preferred by trend the male viewed under UV-present conditions in the clear-water treatment. The results for both shoaling- and mate-preference tests were largely similar for wild-caught and lab-bred sticklebacks, thus hinting at a genetic basis for the preference patterns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meike Hiermes
- Institute for Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, University of Bonn, An der Immenburg 1, Bonn 53121, Germany
| | - Michael B Marder
- Institute for Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, University of Bonn, An der Immenburg 1, Bonn 53121, Germany
| | - Stephanie Reher
- Institute for Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, University of Bonn, An der Immenburg 1, Bonn 53121, Germany
- Institute of Zoology, Functional Ecology, Universität Hamburg, Martin-Luther-King-Platz 3, Hamburg 20146, Germany
| | - Ingolf P Rick
- Institute for Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, University of Bonn, An der Immenburg 1, Bonn 53121, Germany
- Institute of Zoology, University of Bonn, Meckenheimer Allee 169, Bonn 53115, Germany
| | - Simon Vitt
- Institute for Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, University of Bonn, An der Immenburg 1, Bonn 53121, Germany
| | - Theo C M Bakker
- Institute for Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, University of Bonn, An der Immenburg 1, Bonn 53121, Germany
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Bakker TCM, Mundwiler B. Nest-site selection in a fish species with paternal care. Hydrobiologia 2020; 848:641-650. [PMID: 33583949 PMCID: PMC7822789 DOI: 10.1007/s10750-020-04470-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2020] [Revised: 11/02/2020] [Accepted: 11/17/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Fish that perform paternal care may increase their fitness by choosing nest sites that enhance survival and development of embryos. We studied nest-site choice with respect to dissolved oxygen concentration and water temperature in males of the three-spined stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus), a small fish species with exclusive male parental care that usually breeds in the littoral zone of freshwaters of the Northern hemisphere. Fathers oxygenate the embryos by fanning movements of their pectoral fins. We expected choice for conditions at potential nest sites that would benefit offspring development, i.e., higher temperature and higher dissolved oxygen concentration. In the laboratory, we offered males a choice between two potential nest sites that differed in dissolved oxygen concentration or water temperature. Males preferred to build a nest at sites with a higher dissolved oxygen level or higher temperature and thus chose sites that would promote embryo development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Theo C. M. Bakker
- Abteilung Verhaltensökologie, Zoologisches Institut, University of Bern, Wohlenstrasse 50a, 3032 Hinterkappelen, Switzerland
- Institute for Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, University of Bonn, An der Immenburg 1, 53121 Bonn, Germany
| | - Beat Mundwiler
- Abteilung Verhaltensökologie, Zoologisches Institut, University of Bern, Wohlenstrasse 50a, 3032 Hinterkappelen, Switzerland
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Bakker TCM, Traniello JFA. Ensuring data access, transparency, and preservation: mandatory data deposition for Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-020-02910-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
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Affiliation(s)
- James F A Traniello
- Department of Biology, Boston University, 5 Cummington Mall, Boston, MA 02215 USA
| | - Theo C M Bakker
- Institute for Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, University of Bonn, An der Immenburg 1, 53121 Bonn, Germany
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Vitt S, Bakker TCM, Rick IP. Differential investment in pre- and post-mating male sexual traits in response to prolonged exposure to ambient UVB radiation in a fish. Sci Total Environ 2020; 712:136341. [PMID: 31931223 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.136341] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [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: 09/27/2019] [Revised: 12/12/2019] [Accepted: 12/24/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Increasing UVB radiation (UVB) reaching earth's surface following stratospheric ozone depletion is linked to serious consequences for organisms. While studies have focused on direct cytocidal and immunomodulatory effects of UVB, indirect consequences for fitness-related life-history traits are largely unexplored, although knowledge is needed to understand organismal responses to climate change. The present study investigates the effects of developmental exposure to enhanced, but ecologically relevant, ambient UVB levels on growth (body size), parental behavior (nest-building), fitness-enhancing traits of pre-mating (sexual ornamentation) and post-mating (sperm traits) sexual selection as well as their interrelationships in male three-spined sticklebacks (Gasterosteus aculeatus). Moreover, potentially underlying direct UVB effects, testicular antioxidant capacity (TAC) and testes and skin melanization were quantified. Juvenile full-siblings were split into two groups and raised until adulthood in a semi-natural set-up under light conditions including either natural (UVBnormal) or elevated UVB levels (UVBenhanced). When becoming reproductive, males were kept individually before data collection took place at their reproductive peak. The results showed that males from the UVBenhanced-group were smaller than their brothers from the UVBnormal-treatment, whereas no treatment differences were observed for sexual ornamentation, sperm traits and TAC. Moreover, UVB-stressed males built their nests faster and the relationship between body size and nest size was negative for UVBenhanced-males while being positive for UVBnormal-males. These results demonstrate that, depending on physical state, UVB-stressed males adjusted their behavior to some extent. Additionally, a trade-off between the investment in pre- and post-mating traits was found for UVBenhanced-males, i.e. the intensity of their breeding coloration was negatively correlated with sperm number whereas this relationship was reversed for UVBnormal-males, thus showing an interaction between pre- and post-mating traits regarding exposure treatment. The interaction provides first experimental evidence that differential allocation to energetically demanding pre- and post-mating components of male fitness is triggered by a key environmental stressor of climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon Vitt
- Institute for Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, University of Bonn, An der Immenburg 1, D-53121 Bonn, Germany.
| | - Theo C M Bakker
- Institute for Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, University of Bonn, An der Immenburg 1, D-53121 Bonn, Germany
| | - Ingolf P Rick
- Institute for Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, University of Bonn, An der Immenburg 1, D-53121 Bonn, Germany
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Rystrom TL, Bakker TCM, Rick IP. Mate assessment behavior is correlated to learning ability in female threespine sticklebacks. Curr Zool 2019; 65:295-304. [PMID: 31263488 PMCID: PMC6595426 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zoz010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [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: 11/21/2018] [Accepted: 03/12/2019] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
In many species, males signal quality with elaborate traits, but females often show inter-individual variation in preference for these traits. Choosing a mate requires multiple cognitive steps; therefore, cognitive style (how an individual processes information) likely influences the perception of sexual signals and ability to choose a high-quality mate. An important component of cognitive style is flexibility; cognitively flexible individuals are more perceptive to shifts in cues. We hypothesized that cognitively flexible individuals would acquire more information about potential mates, better discern between two quality-signaling traits, and thus be more discriminatory. Here, we show that mate assessment is correlated to other cognitive traits. Although we did not detect an effect of cognitive style on mate preference or discrimination, we found that female threespine sticklebacks Gasterosteus aculeatus that spent more time assessing potential mates (more responsive) in a dichotomous mate choice task reached both the initial and reversal learning criterion in a spatial learning task with fewer errors. However, these highly responsive females made more consecutive mistakes immediately at the beginning of the reversal phase, suggesting that they did not quickly adapt to the environmental change but instead rapidly formed strict routines during the learning task that were eventually reversible after repeated errors. Furthermore, we found evidence for condition-dependent mate preference, with larger females preferring the high-quality male. These are among the first results that illustrate how cognitive traits might influence mate choice, which has implications for the strength and direction of sexual selection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taylor L Rystrom
- Department of Behavioural Biology, University of Münster, Badestrasse 13, Münster, Germany.,Institute for Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, University of Bonn, An der Immenburg 1, Bonn, Germany
| | - Theo C M Bakker
- Institute for Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, University of Bonn, An der Immenburg 1, Bonn, Germany
| | - Ingolf P Rick
- Institute for Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, University of Bonn, An der Immenburg 1, Bonn, Germany
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Langen K, Thünken T, Klemm J, Sandmann S, Bakker TCM. Sperm size is negatively related to relative testis size in West African riverine cichlid fishes. Naturwissenschaften 2019; 106:30. [PMID: 31147792 DOI: 10.1007/s00114-019-1622-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2018] [Revised: 05/02/2019] [Accepted: 05/06/2019] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Fishes show a great diversity of mating systems and fertilization mechanisms. This diversity creates an enormous potential for sperm competition. Typically, monogamous species face a low risk of sperm competition and invest less into sperm, and thus show smaller relative testis mass compared to polygamous species with high sperm competition. In cichlids, sperm competition risk is very variable. In lacustrine East African cichlids, large sperm are interpreted as an adaptation to sperm competition, as in those species sperm length correlates with sperm swimming speed. The aim of the present study was to examine variation in sperm and testis traits of substrate breeding cichlids from West African river systems and its relationship to sperm competition. Therefore, sperm traits (total sperm size, flagellum-, midpiece-, and head size) and sperm number were related to the gonadosomatic index (GSI), an indicator of sperm competition, in eight species of two large informal tribes, the chromidotilapiines and the haplotilapiines. We found significant differences between species in all examined sperm traits, sperm number, and GSI with pronounced differences between chromidotilapiines and haplotilapiines. We used a generalized least-squares approach to control for non-independence of data. GSI was positively correlated with sperm number but negatively correlated with total sperm size (also negatively with the flagellum and head size but not significantly with midpiece size). Sperm number and sperm size were negatively correlated suggesting a trade-off between sperm size and quality. Our results suggest that large sperm can evolve in species with relatively low sperm expenditure and probably in absence of high sperm competition between males.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathrin Langen
- Institute for Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, University of Bonn, An der Immenburg 1, 53121, Bonn, Germany. .,Zoological Research Museum Alexander Koenig, Leibniz Institute for Animal Biodiversity, Adenauerallee 160/162, 53113, Bonn, Germany.
| | - Timo Thünken
- Institute for Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, University of Bonn, An der Immenburg 1, 53121, Bonn, Germany
| | - Janine Klemm
- Institute for Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, University of Bonn, An der Immenburg 1, 53121, Bonn, Germany
| | - Sarah Sandmann
- Institute for Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, University of Bonn, An der Immenburg 1, 53121, Bonn, Germany
| | - Theo C M Bakker
- Institute for Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, University of Bonn, An der Immenburg 1, 53121, Bonn, Germany
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Vitt S, Mehlis-Rick M, Bakker TCM, Rick IP. Enhanced ambient UVB radiation affects post-mating, but not pre-mating sexual traits in a fish. Oecologia 2019; 190:355-366. [PMID: 31134331 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-019-04422-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [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: 06/13/2018] [Accepted: 05/19/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Organisms inhabiting shallow aquatic habitats currently experience increasing levels of solar ultraviolet B radiation (UVB). UVB causes damage on cellular and molecular levels and can affect associated life-history traits either through direct exposure or indirectly through oxidative stress generation. We examined UVB effects on pre- and post-mating sexual traits in three-spined stickleback fish (Gasterosteus aculeatus). Adult, reproductively non-active males were assigned to two exposure treatments under semi-natural conditions in an outdoor experiment; one group received natural radiation (UVBnormal) whilst the other group received additional UVB (UVBenhanced). After two months, colour metrics were used to quantify male breeding colouration as pre-mating trait. At the post-mating stage, sperm morphology, number and movement as well as testes mass were determined. Males did not significantly differ in sexual ornamentation between treatments, but UVBenhanced fish had smaller testes as well as fewer and shorter sperm than UVBnormal fish. Sperm movement was not significantly different between treatments. However, in UVBenhanced males, linear and progressive movement of sperm was positively correlated with sperm morphology (head-to-tail length ratio), whereas in UVBnormal males this relationship was negative (but not significant). Additionally, there was a significant treatment by body condition interaction concerning head-to-tail length ratio, i.e. head-to-tail length ratio increased with condition in UVBnormal males whereas there was no relationship in UVBenhanced fish. Our findings reveal that increased UVB levels influence post-mating fitness-relevant traits in males whilst having no significant impact on pre-mating sexual traits, suggesting selective UVB-effects at the gamete level with consequences for reproductive performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon Vitt
- Institute for Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, University of Bonn, An der Immenburg 1, 53121, Bonn, Germany.
| | - Marion Mehlis-Rick
- Institute for Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, University of Bonn, An der Immenburg 1, 53121, Bonn, Germany
| | - Theo C M Bakker
- Institute for Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, University of Bonn, An der Immenburg 1, 53121, Bonn, Germany
| | - Ingolf P Rick
- Institute for Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, University of Bonn, An der Immenburg 1, 53121, Bonn, Germany
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Affiliation(s)
- Shirley Raveh
- Division of Behavioural Ecology, Institute of Ecology and Evolution; University of Bern; Hinterkappelen Switzerland
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences; University of Glasgow; Glasgow UK
| | - Kathrin Langen
- Institute for Evolutionary Biology and Ecology; University of Bonn; Bonn Germany
- Zoological Research Museum Alexander Koenig; Leibniz Institute for Animal Biodiversity; Bonn Germany
| | - Theo C. M. Bakker
- Institute for Evolutionary Biology and Ecology; University of Bonn; Bonn Germany
| | - Christian Josephs
- Institute for Evolutionary Biology and Ecology; University of Bonn; Bonn Germany
| | - Joachim G. Frommen
- Division of Behavioural Ecology, Institute of Ecology and Evolution; University of Bern; Hinterkappelen Switzerland
- Institute for Evolutionary Biology and Ecology; University of Bonn; Bonn Germany
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Rystrom TL, Clement VF, Rick IP, Bakker TCM, Mehlis M. Shoal sex composition and predation risk influence sub-adult threespine stickleback shoaling decisions. Behav Processes 2018; 157:495-501. [PMID: 29933058 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2018.06.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2017] [Revised: 06/08/2018] [Accepted: 06/18/2018] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Group living reduces individual predation risk most effectively when group members are behaviorally and phenotypically similar. Group preferences are influenced by the individual, the members of the shoal, and the environmental conditions. While shoaling behavior has been studied extensively in the threespine stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus), it is unclear whether the sex of shoal mates influences the shoal preference of non-reproductive males and females and how this changes under increasing predation risk. Although non-reproductively active sticklebacks are sexually monochromatic in appearance, sex-related differences may result in sexual segregation when shoaling. Here we show that male and female sub-adult threespine sticklebacks had contrasting preferences for shoal mate sex, and that this preference was dependent on the level of predation risk during standardized experimental choice tests. In detail, test fish shoal with the opposite sex within low predation risk trials and with same-sex shoals within high predation risk trials. This difference might be linked to activity patterns; test males were more active than females. Our results demonstrate that differences between the sexes in a species with a sexually monochromatic non-reproductive stage can result in sex-related shoaling preferences. Most studies examining sexual segregation focus on sexually dimorphic species, but these results highlight the potentially widespread occurrence of sexual segregation beyond the sexually dimorphic reproductive stage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taylor L Rystrom
- Institute for Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, University of Bonn, An der Immenburg 1, D-53121, Bonn, Germany; Institute for Neuro- and Behavioural Biology, University of Münster, Badestrasse 13, D-48149, Münster, Germany
| | - Vic F Clement
- Institute for Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, University of Bonn, An der Immenburg 1, D-53121, Bonn, Germany; Zoologisches Forschungsmuseum Alexander Koenig, Leibniz Institute for Animal Biodiversity, Adenauerallee 160, D-53113, Bonn, Germany
| | - Ingolf P Rick
- Institute for Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, University of Bonn, An der Immenburg 1, D-53121, Bonn, Germany
| | - Theo C M Bakker
- Institute for Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, University of Bonn, An der Immenburg 1, D-53121, Bonn, Germany
| | - Marion Mehlis
- Institute for Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, University of Bonn, An der Immenburg 1, D-53121, Bonn, Germany.
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Meuthen D, Baldauf SA, Bakker TCM, Thünken T. Neglected Patterns of Variation in Phenotypic Plasticity: Age- and Sex-Specific Antipredator Plasticity in a Cichlid Fish. Am Nat 2018; 191:475-490. [DOI: 10.1086/696264] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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Rahn AK, Vitt S, Drolshagen L, Scharsack JP, Rick IP, Bakker TCM. Parasitic infection of the eye lens affects shoaling preferences in three-spined stickleback. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2017. [DOI: 10.1093/biolinnean/blx155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
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Vitt S, Zierul JE, Bakker TCM, Rick IP. Long-term UVB exposure promotes predator-inspection behaviour in a fish. Biol Lett 2017; 13:rsbl.2017.0497. [PMID: 29237811 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2017.0497] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2017] [Accepted: 11/21/2017] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Ultraviolet-B radiation (UVB) reaching the earth's surface has increased due to human-caused stratospheric ozone depletion. Whereas the harmful effects of UVB on aquatic organisms are well studied at the molecular and cellular level, recent studies have also begun to address behavioural changes caused by sublethal amounts of UVB. However, the behavioural consequences of long-term exposure to ecologically relevant UVB levels over several life stages are virtually unknown, particularly with regard to predator-prey behaviour. We found increased predator-inspection behaviour together with a smaller body length in three-spined sticklebacks (Gasterosteus aculeatus) after fish were exposed for about seven months to natural sunlight conditions with enhanced UVB, compared with full siblings exposed to natural sunlight only. The observed change in antipredator behaviour may reflect a direct behavioural response mediated through UVB-induced oxidative stress during development. Alternatively, the smaller body size in UVB-exposed fish may result in an increased inspection effort allowing them to spend more time foraging. Our findings suggest that, within the scope of environmental change, UVB radiation constitutes an important stress factor by eliciting behavioural responses that influence crucial ecological processes, such as predator-prey interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon Vitt
- Institute for Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, University of Bonn, An der Immenburg 1, 53121 Bonn, Germany
| | - Janina E Zierul
- Institute for Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, University of Bonn, An der Immenburg 1, 53121 Bonn, Germany
| | - Theo C M Bakker
- Institute for Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, University of Bonn, An der Immenburg 1, 53121 Bonn, Germany
| | - Ingolf P Rick
- Institute for Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, University of Bonn, An der Immenburg 1, 53121 Bonn, Germany
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Affiliation(s)
- Theo C. M. Bakker
- Institute for Evolutionary Biology and Ecology; University of Bonn; Bonn Germany
| | - Joachim G. Frommen
- Department of Behavioural Ecology; Institute of Ecology and Evolution; University of Berne; Hinterkappelen Switzerland
| | - Timo Thünken
- Institute for Evolutionary Biology and Ecology; University of Bonn; Bonn Germany
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Langen K, Bakker TCM, Baldauf SA, Shrestha J, Thünken T. Effects of ageing and inbreeding on the reproductive traits in a cichlid fish II: the female perspective. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2017. [DOI: 10.1093/biolinnean/blw003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
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Traniello JFA, Bakker TCM. Behavioral ecology and sociobiology in post-truth society. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-017-2303-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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Langen K, Bakker TCM, Baldauf SA, Shrestha J, Thünken T. Effects of ageing and inbreeding on the reproductive traits in a cichlid fish I: the male perspective. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2017. [DOI: 10.1093/biolinnean/blw002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
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Mehlis M, Rick IP, Bakker TCM. Dynamic resource allocation between pre- and postcopulatory episodes of sexual selection determines competitive fertilization success. Proc Biol Sci 2016; 282:20151279. [PMID: 26490787 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2015.1279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
In polyandrous mating systems, male reproductive success depends on both mate-acquisition traits (precopulatory) and sperm competitive abilities (postcopulatory). Empirical data on the interaction between these traits are inconsistent; revealing positive, negative or no relationships. It is generally expected that the investment in pre- and postcopulatory traits is mediated by environmental conditions. To test how dietary resource availability affects sexual ornamentation, sperm quality and their interrelationship in three-spined sticklebacks (Gasterosteus aculeatus), full-sibling groups were raised under three conditions differing in food quantity and/or quality (i.e. carotenoid content): (i) high-quantity/high-quality, (ii) high-quantity/low-quality or (iii) low-quantity/low-quality. After 1 year of feeding, food-restricted males developed a more intense breeding coloration and faster sperm compared with their well-fed brothers, indicating that they allocated relatively more in pre- and postcopulatory traits. Moreover, they outcompeted their well-fed, carotenoid-supplemented brothers in sperm competition trials with equal numbers of competing sperm, suggesting that food-restricted males maximize their present reproductive success. This may result in reduced future reproductive opportunities as food-restricted males suffered from a higher mortality, had an overall reduced body size, and sperm number available for fertilization. In accordance with theory, a trade-off between the investment in pre- and postcopulatory traits was observed in food-restricted males, whereas well-fed males were able to allocate to both traits resulting in a significantly positive relationship.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marion Mehlis
- Institute for Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, University of Bonn, An der Immenburg 1, Bonn 53121, Germany
| | - Ingolf P Rick
- Institute for Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, University of Bonn, An der Immenburg 1, Bonn 53121, Germany
| | - Theo C M Bakker
- Institute for Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, University of Bonn, An der Immenburg 1, Bonn 53121, Germany
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Rahn AK, Krassmann J, Tsobanidis K, MacColl ADC, Bakker TCM. Strong neutral genetic differentiation in a host, but not in its parasite. Infect Genet Evol 2016; 44:261-271. [PMID: 27421211 DOI: 10.1016/j.meegid.2016.07.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2016] [Revised: 07/08/2016] [Accepted: 07/11/2016] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The genetic diversity and population structure of a parasite with a complex life cycle generally depends on the dispersal by its most motile host. Given that high gene flow is assumed to hinder local adaptation, this can impose significant constraints on a parasite's potential to adapt to local environmental conditions, intermediate host populations, and ultimately to host-parasite coevolution. Here, we aimed to examine the population genetic basis for local host-parasite interactions between the eye fluke Diplostomum lineage 6, a digenean trematode with a multi-host life cycle (including a snail, a fish, and a bird) and its second intermediate host, the three-spined stickleback Gasterosteus aculeatus L. We developed the first microsatellite primers for D. lineage 6 and used them together with published stickleback markers to analyse host and parasite population structures in 19 freshwater lakes, which differ in their local environmental characteristics regarding water chemistry and Diplostomum abundance. Our analyses suggest that one parasite population successfully infects a range of genetically differentiated stickleback populations. The lack of neutral genetic differentiation in D. lineage 6, which could be attributed to the motility of the parasite's definitive host as well as its life cycle characteristics, makes local host-parasite co-adaptations seem more likely on a larger geographical scale than among the lakes of our study site. Our study provides a suitable background for future studies in this system and the first microsatellite primers for a widespread fish parasite.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna K Rahn
- Institute for Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, University of Bonn, An der Immenburg 1, 53121 Bonn, Germany.
| | - Johannes Krassmann
- Institute for Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, University of Bonn, An der Immenburg 1, 53121 Bonn, Germany
| | - Kostas Tsobanidis
- Institute for Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, University of Bonn, An der Immenburg 1, 53121 Bonn, Germany
| | - Andrew D C MacColl
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham, NG7 2RD, UK
| | - Theo C M Bakker
- Institute for Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, University of Bonn, An der Immenburg 1, 53121 Bonn, Germany
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Hiermes M, Rick IP, Mehlis M, Bakker TCM. The dynamics of color signals in male threespine sticklebacks Gasterosteus aculeatus. Curr Zool 2016; 62:23-31. [PMID: 29491887 PMCID: PMC5804133 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zov009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [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: 01/14/2015] [Accepted: 04/16/2015] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Body coloration and color patterns are ubiquitous throughout the animal kingdom and vary between and within species. Recent studies have dealt with individual dynamics of various aspects of coloration, as it is in many cases a flexible trait and changes in color expression may be context-dependent. During the reproductive phase, temporal changes of coloration in the visible spectral range (400–700 nm) have been shown for many animals but corresponding changes in the ultraviolet (UV) waveband (300–400 nm) have rarely been studied. Threespine stickleback Gasterosteus aculeatus males develop conspicuous orange–red breeding coloration combined with UV reflectance in the cheek region. We investigated dynamics of color patterns including UV throughout a male breeding cycle, as well as short-term changes in coloration in response to a computer-animated rival using reflectance spectrophotometry and visual modeling, to estimate how colors would be perceived by conspecifics. We found the orange–red component of coloration to vary during the breeding cycle with respect to hue (theta/R50) and intensity (achieved chroma/red chroma). Furthermore, color intensity in the orange–red spectral part (achieved chroma) tended to be increased after the presentation of an artificial rival. Dynamic changes in specific measures of hue and intensity in the UV waveband were not found. In general, the orange–red component of the signal seems to be dynamic with respect to color intensity and hue. This accounts in particular for color changes during the breeding cycle, presumably to signal reproductive status, and with limitations as well in the intrasexual context, most likely to signal dominance or inferiority.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meike Hiermes
- Institute for Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, University of Bonn, An der Immenburg 1, 53121 Bonn, Germany
| | - Ingolf P Rick
- Institute for Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, University of Bonn, An der Immenburg 1, 53121 Bonn, Germany
| | - Marion Mehlis
- Institute for Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, University of Bonn, An der Immenburg 1, 53121 Bonn, Germany
| | - Theo C M Bakker
- Institute for Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, University of Bonn, An der Immenburg 1, 53121 Bonn, Germany
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Hiermes M, Vitt S, Rick IP, Bakker TCM. Shoal choice and ultraviolet reflections in stickleback populations from different photic habitats. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2015. [DOI: 10.1111/bij.12645] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Meike Hiermes
- Institute for Evolutionary Biology and Ecology; University of Bonn; An der Immenburg 1 53121 Bonn Germany
| | - Simon Vitt
- Institute for Evolutionary Biology and Ecology; University of Bonn; An der Immenburg 1 53121 Bonn Germany
| | - Ingolf P. Rick
- Institute for Evolutionary Biology and Ecology; University of Bonn; An der Immenburg 1 53121 Bonn Germany
| | - Theo C. M. Bakker
- Institute for Evolutionary Biology and Ecology; University of Bonn; An der Immenburg 1 53121 Bonn Germany
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Mehlis M, Rahn AK, Bakker TCM. Sperm quality but not relatedness predicts sperm competition success in threespine sticklebacks (Gasterosteus aculeatus). BMC Evol Biol 2015; 15:74. [PMID: 25928309 PMCID: PMC4415302 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-015-0353-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2014] [Accepted: 04/15/2015] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Mating between close relatives often leads to a reduction of an individual's fitness, due to an increased expression of deleterious alleles. Thus, in many animal taxa pre- as well as postcopulatory inbreeding avoidance mechanisms have evolved. An increased risk of inbreeding and hence a loss of genetic variation may occur during founder events as in most cases only few individuals establish a new population. The threespine stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus) is a small externally fertilizing fish species subject to strong sperm competition. Sticklebacks inhabit both marine and freshwater environments and anadromous populations have repeatedly established new genetically less diverse freshwater populations. Previous studies showed that anadromous sticklebacks strongly suffer from inbreeding depression and when given the choice females prefer to mate with unrelated males. RESULTS The present study aimed to address whether there exists a postcopulatory inbreeding avoidance mechanism solely based on sperm-egg interactions in sperm competition experiments. We used F1 individuals that originated either from a large, genetically heterogeneous anadromous population or from a small, genetically less diverse freshwater population. For each population, eggs of two different females were in vitro fertilized by the same two males' sperm in a paired study design. In the main experiment one male was the female's full-sib brother and in the control experiment all individuals were unrelated. The results revealed that fertilization success was independent of relatedness in both populations suggesting a general lack of a postcopulatory inbreeding avoidance mechanism. Instead, male quality (i.e. sperm morphology) predicted paternity success during competitive fertilization trials. CONCLUSION In sticklebacks, there is no evidence for postcopulatory inbreeding avoidance. Sperm morphology predicted paternity instead, thus sperm quality traits are under strong sexual selection, presumably driven by the high risk of sperm competition under natural conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marion Mehlis
- Institute for Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, University of Bonn, An der Immenburg 1, D-53121, Bonn, Germany.
| | - Anna K Rahn
- Institute for Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, University of Bonn, An der Immenburg 1, D-53121, Bonn, Germany.
| | - Theo C M Bakker
- Institute for Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, University of Bonn, An der Immenburg 1, D-53121, Bonn, Germany.
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Hiermes M, Mehlis M, Rick IP, Bakker TCM. Habitat-dependent olfactory discrimination in three-spined sticklebacks (Gasterosteus aculeatus). Anim Cogn 2015; 18:839-46. [DOI: 10.1007/s10071-015-0850-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2014] [Revised: 01/29/2015] [Accepted: 02/09/2015] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
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Franke F, Rahn AK, Dittmar J, Erin N, Rieger JK, Haase D, Samonte-Padilla IE, Lange J, Jakobsen PJ, Hermida M, Fernández C, Kurtz J, Bakker TCM, Reusch TBH, Kalbe M, Scharsack JP. In vitro leukocyte response of three-spined sticklebacks (Gasterosteus aculeatus) to helminth parasite antigens. Fish Shellfish Immunol 2014; 36:130-140. [PMID: 24176687 DOI: 10.1016/j.fsi.2013.10.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2013] [Revised: 10/18/2013] [Accepted: 10/21/2013] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Helminth parasites of teleost fish have evolved strategies to evade and manipulate the immune responses of their hosts. Responsiveness of fish host immunity to helminth antigens may therefore vary depending on the degree of host-parasite counter-adaptation. Generalist parasites, infective for a number of host species, might be unable to adapt optimally to the immune system of a certain host species, while specialist parasites might display high levels of adaptation to a particular host species. The degree of adaptations may further differ between sympatric and allopatric host-parasite combinations. Here, we test these hypotheses by in vitro exposure of head kidney leukocytes from three-spined sticklebacks (Gasterosteus aculeatus) to antigens from parasites with a broad fish host range (Diplostomum pseudospathaceum, Triaenophorus nodulosus), a specific fish parasite of cyprinids (Ligula intestinalis) and parasites highly specific only to a single fish species as second intermediate host (Schistocephalus pungitii, which does not infect G. aculeatus, and Schistocephalus solidus, infecting G. aculeatus). In vitro responses of stickleback leukocytes to S. solidus antigens from six European populations, with S. solidus prevalence from <1% to 66% were tested in a fully crossed experimental design. Leukocyte cultures were analysed by means of flow cytometry and a chemiluminescence assay to quantify respiratory burst activity. We detected decreasing magnitudes of in vitro responses to antigens from generalist to specialist parasites and among specialists, from parasites that do not infect G. aculeatus to a G. aculeatus-infecting species. Generalist parasites seem to maintain their ability to infect different host species at the costs of relatively higher immunogenicity compared to specialist parasites. In a comparison of sympatric and allopatric combinations of stickleback leukocytes and antigens from S. solidus, magnitudes of in vitro responses were dependent on the prevalence of the parasite in the population of origin, rather than on sympatry. Antigens from Norwegian (prevalence 30-50%) and Spanish (40-66%) S. solidus induced generally higher in vitro responses compared to S. solidus from two German (<1%) populations. Likewise, leukocytes from stickleback populations with a high S. solidus prevalence showed higher in vitro responses to S. solidus antigens compared to populations with low S. solidus prevalence. This suggests a rather low degree of local adaptation in S. solidus populations, which might be due to high gene flow among populations because of their extremely mobile final hosts, fish-eating birds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frederik Franke
- Department of Animal Evolutionary Ecology, Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity, University of Münster, Hüfferstrasse 1, 48149 Münster, Germany
| | - Anna K Rahn
- Institute for Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, University of Bonn, An der Immenburg 1, 53121 Bonn, Germany
| | - Janine Dittmar
- Department of Animal Evolutionary Ecology, Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity, University of Münster, Hüfferstrasse 1, 48149 Münster, Germany
| | - Noémie Erin
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology, Max-Planck Institute of Evolutionary Biology, August-Thienemann Str 2, 24306 Plön, Germany
| | - Jennifer K Rieger
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology of Marine Fishes, GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research, Düsternbrooker Weg 20, 24105 Kiel, Germany
| | - David Haase
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology of Marine Fishes, GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research, Düsternbrooker Weg 20, 24105 Kiel, Germany
| | - Irene E Samonte-Padilla
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology, Max-Planck Institute of Evolutionary Biology, August-Thienemann Str 2, 24306 Plön, Germany
| | - Joseph Lange
- Department of Animal Evolutionary Ecology, Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity, University of Münster, Hüfferstrasse 1, 48149 Münster, Germany
| | - Per J Jakobsen
- Institute for Biology, University of Bergen, Thor Møhlensgate 55, 5020 Bergen, Norway
| | - Miguel Hermida
- Departamento de Xenetica, Facultade de Veterinaria, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Campus de Lugo, 27002 Lugo, Spain
| | - Carlos Fernández
- Departamento de Xenetica, Facultade de Veterinaria, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Campus de Lugo, 27002 Lugo, Spain
| | - Joachim Kurtz
- Department of Animal Evolutionary Ecology, Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity, University of Münster, Hüfferstrasse 1, 48149 Münster, Germany
| | - Theo C M Bakker
- Institute for Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, University of Bonn, An der Immenburg 1, 53121 Bonn, Germany
| | - Thorsten B H Reusch
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology of Marine Fishes, GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research, Düsternbrooker Weg 20, 24105 Kiel, Germany
| | - Martin Kalbe
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology, Max-Planck Institute of Evolutionary Biology, August-Thienemann Str 2, 24306 Plön, Germany
| | - Jörn P Scharsack
- Department of Animal Evolutionary Ecology, Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity, University of Münster, Hüfferstrasse 1, 48149 Münster, Germany.
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Abstract
Abstract
Recent studies have revealed that sexually selected traits may signal sperm quality and hence male fertilisation ability. There is also evidence that the expression of male sexual ornamentation and associated sperm characteristics depend on an individual’s ability to cope with oxidative stress. Carotenoids are known for their antioxidant properties and carotenoid-based ornaments might represent honest signals as these pigments can be traded off between the investment in sexual ornamentation, sperm function as well as immune response. In this study, we examined the relationship between sexual ornamentation (breeding coloration) and sperm characteristics (e.g., velocity and morphology) in the three-spined stickleback Gasterosteus aculeatus, an externally fertilising fish species, in which sperm competition commonly occurs. During the breeding season males are sperm limited and develop a conspicuous carotenoid-based coloration, which is under strong pre-copulatory sexual selection due to female mate choice and male-male competition. The results of the present study show that the expression of stickleback male breeding coloration is significantly positively associated with the linearity of sperm movement, whereas sperm morphology (head length to tail length ratio) is significantly negatively related to the trajectory of sperm movement. Moreover, there is some support for the phenotype-linked fertility hypothesis as the intensity of male red breeding coloration is significantly positively correlated with sperm velocity, which is supposed to be an important determinant of fertilisation success in external fertilisers, indicating the honesty of the sexually selected nuptial red coloration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marion Mehlis
- Institute for Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, University of Bonn, An der Immenburg 1, D-53121 Bonn, Germany
| | - Lukas K. Hilke
- Institute for Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, University of Bonn, An der Immenburg 1, D-53121 Bonn, Germany
- Department of Behavioural Ecology, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Wohlenstrasse 50a, CH-3032 Hinterkappelen, Switzerland
| | - Theo C. M. Bakker
- Institute for Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, University of Bonn, An der Immenburg 1, D-53121 Bonn, Germany
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Rick IP, Mehlis M, Eßer E, Bakker TCM. The influence of ambient ultraviolet light on sperm quality and sexual ornamentation in three-spined sticklebacks (Gasterosteus aculeatus). Oecologia 2013; 174:393-402. [DOI: 10.1007/s00442-013-2773-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2013] [Accepted: 09/03/2013] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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Abstract
Abstract
Many animals are sensitive to ultraviolet light and also possess UV-reflective regions on their body surface. Individuals reflecting UV have been shown to be preferred during social interactions such as mate choice or shoaling decisions. However, whether those body UV-reflections enhance also the conspicuousness to UV-sensitive predators and therefore entail costs for its bearer is less well documented. Two size-matched three-spined sticklebacks Gasterosteus aculeatus, one enclosed in a UV-transmitting (UV+) and another in a UV-blocking (UV-) chamber, were simultaneously presented to individual brown trout Salmo trutta. “yearlings”. Brown trout of this age are sensitive to the UV part of the electromagnetic spectrum and are natural predators of three-spined sticklebacks. The stickleback that was attacked first as well as the subsequent number of attacks was recorded. Sticklebacks enclosed in the UV-transmitting chamber were attacked first significantly more often compared to sticklebacks enclosed in the UV-blocking chamber. Control experiments using neutral density filters revealed that this was more likely due to UV having an influence on hue perception rather than brightness discrimination. The difference in attack probability corresponded to the difference in chromatic contrasts between sticklebacks and the experimental background calculated for both the UV+ and UVconditions in a physiological model of trout colour vision. UV reflections seem to be costly by enhancing the risk of predation due to an increased conspicuousness of prey. This is the first study in a vertebrate, to our knowledge, demonstrating direct predation risk due to UV wavelengths.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ricarda Modarressie
- Institute for Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, University of Bonn, An der Immenburg 1, D-53121 Bonn, Germany
| | - Ingolf P. Rick
- Institute for Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, University of Bonn, An der Immenburg 1, D-53121 Bonn, Germany
| | - Theo C. M. Bakker
- Institute for Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, University of Bonn, An der Immenburg 1, D-53121 Bonn, Germany
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Frommen JG, Bakker TCM, Proscurcin LC, Mehlis M. Gravidity-Associated Shoaling Decisions in Three-Spined Sticklebacks (Gasterosteus aculeatus). Ethology 2012. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.12019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Theo C. M. Bakker
- Institute for Evolutionary Biology and Ecology; University of Bonn; Bonn; Germany
| | - Leonie C. Proscurcin
- Institute for Evolutionary Biology and Ecology; University of Bonn; Bonn; Germany
| | - Marion Mehlis
- Institute for Evolutionary Biology and Ecology; University of Bonn; Bonn; Germany
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Mehlis M, Frommen JG, Rahn AK, Bakker TCM. Inbreeding in three-spined sticklebacks (Gasterosteus aculeatusL.): effects on testis and sperm traits. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2012. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1095-8312.2012.01950.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Marion Mehlis
- Institute for Evolutionary Biology and Ecology; University of Bonn; An der Immenburg 1 D-53121 Bonn Germany
| | - Joachim G. Frommen
- Institute for Evolutionary Biology and Ecology; University of Bonn; An der Immenburg 1 D-53121 Bonn Germany
- Department of Behavioural Ecology; Institute of Ecology and Evolution; University of Bern; Wohlenstrasse 50a CH-3032 Hinterkappelen Switzerland
| | - Anna K. Rahn
- Institute for Evolutionary Biology and Ecology; University of Bonn; An der Immenburg 1 D-53121 Bonn Germany
| | - Theo C. M. Bakker
- Institute for Evolutionary Biology and Ecology; University of Bonn; An der Immenburg 1 D-53121 Bonn Germany
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Thünken T, Meuthen D, Bakker TCM, Baldauf SA. A sex-specific trade-off between mating preferences for genetic compatibility and body size in a cichlid fish with mutual mate choice. Proc Biol Sci 2012; 279:2959-64. [PMID: 22513859 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2012.0333] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Mating preferences for genetic compatibility strictly depend on the interplay of the genotypes of potential partners and are therein fundamentally different from directional preferences for ornamental secondary sexual traits. Thus, the most compatible partner is on average not the one with most pronounced ornaments and vice versa. Hence, mating preferences may often conflict. Here, we present a solution to this problem while investigating the interplay of mating preferences for relatedness (a compatibility criterion) and large body size (an ornamental or quality trait). In previous experiments, both sexes of Pelvicachromis taeniatus, a cichlid fish with mutual mate choice, showed preferences for kin and large partners when these criteria were tested separately. In the present study, test fish were given a conflicting choice between two potential mating partners differing in relatedness as well as in body size in such a way that preferences for both criteria could not simultaneously be satisfied. We show that a sex-specific trade-off occurs between mating preferences for body size and relatedness. For females, relatedness gained greater importance than body size, whereas the opposite was true for males. We discuss the potential role of the interplay between mating preferences for relatedness and body size for the evolution of inbreeding preference.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timo Thünken
- Institute for Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, University of Bonn, An der Immenburg 1, 53121 Bonn, Germany.
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Bourke J, Barrientos C, Ortiz JC, Busse K, Böhme W, Bakker TCM. Colour change in Darwin's frogs (Rhinoderma darwinii, Duméril and Bibron, 1841) (Anura: Rhinodermatidae). J NAT HIST 2011. [DOI: 10.1080/00222933.2011.597885] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
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Abstract
Sexual selection theory proposes correlated evolutionary changes in mating preferences and secondary sexual characters based on a positive genetic correlation between preference and the preferred trait. Empirical work has provided support for a genetic covariation between female preference and male attractiveness in several taxa. Here, we study parent and offspring visual traits in threespine sticklebacks, Gasterosteus aculeatus. While focusing on the proximate basis of mating preferences, we compare the red breeding coloration of males, which strongly contributes to female choice, with their daughters' red sensitivity measured by optomotor response thresholds. We show that the red color expression of fathers correlates well with their daughters' red sensitivity. Given that a within-population genetic correlation between signal and preference was experimentally confirmed for the red coloration in sticklebacks, our results indicate a proximate mechanism in terms of perceptual sensitivity being involved in the co-evolution of female preferences and male mating signals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ingolf P Rick
- Institute for Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany.
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Langen K, Schwarzer J, Kullmann H, Bakker TCM, Thünken T. Microsatellite support for active inbreeding in a cichlid fish. PLoS One 2011; 6:e24689. [PMID: 21980351 PMCID: PMC3184091 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0024689] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2011] [Accepted: 08/18/2011] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
In wild animal populations, the degree of inbreeding differs between species and within species between populations. Because mating with kin often results in inbreeding depression, observed inbreeding is usually regarded to be caused by limited outbreeding opportunities due to demographic factors like small population size or population substructuring. However, theory predicts inclusive benefits from mating with kin, and thus part of the observed variation in inbreeding might be due to active inbreeding preferences. Although some recent studies indeed report kin mating preferences, the evidence is still highly ambiguous. Here, we investigate inbreeding in a natural population of the West African cichlid fish Pelvicachromis taeniatus which showed clear kin mating preferences in standardized laboratory experiments but no inbreeding depression. The presented microsatellite analysis reveals that the natural population has, in comparison to two reference populations, a reduced allelic diversity (A = 3) resulting in a low heterozygosity (Ho = 0.167) pointing to a highly inbred population. Furthermore, we found a significant heterozygote deficit not only at population (Fis = 0.116) but also at subpopulation level (Fis = 0.081) suggesting that inbreeding is not only a by-product of population substructuring but possibly a consequence of behavioral kin preferences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathrin Langen
- Institute for Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany.
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Frommen JG, Herder F, Engqvist L, Mehlis M, Bakker TCM, Schwarzer J, Thünken T. Costly plastic morphological responses to predator specific odour cues in three-spined sticklebacks (Gasterosteus aculeatus). Evol Ecol 2010. [DOI: 10.1007/s10682-010-9454-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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41
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Baldauf SA, Bakker TCM, Herder F, Kullmann H, Thünken T. Male mate choice scales female ornament allometry in a cichlid fish. BMC Evol Biol 2010; 10:301. [PMID: 20932273 PMCID: PMC2958921 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2148-10-301] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2010] [Accepted: 10/08/2010] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Studies addressing the adaptive significance of female ornamentation have gained ground recently. However, the expression of female ornaments in relation to body size, known as trait allometry, still remains unexplored. Here, we investigated the allometry of a conspicuous female ornament in Pelvicachromis taeniatus, a biparental cichlid that shows mutual mate choice and ornamentation. Females feature an eye-catching pelvic fin greatly differing from that of males. Results We show that allometry of the female pelvic fin is scaled more positively in comparison to other fins. The pelvic fin exhibits isometry, whereas the other fins (except the caudal fin) show negative allometry. The size of the pelvic fin might be exaggerated by male choice because males prefer female stimuli that show a larger extension of the trait. Female pelvic fin size is correlated with individual condition, suggesting that males can assess direct and indirect benefits. Conclusions The absence of positive ornament allometry might be a result of sexual selection constricted by natural selection: fins are related to locomotion and thus may be subject to viability selection. Our study provides evidence that male mate choice might scale the expression of a female sexual ornament, and therefore has implications for the understanding of the relationship of female sexual traits with body size in species with conventional sex-roles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian A Baldauf
- Institute for Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, University of Bonn, An der Immenburg 1, 53121 Bonn, Germany.
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42
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Mehlis M, Bakker TCM, Engqvist L, Frommen JG. To eat or not to eat: egg-based assessment of paternity triggers fine-tuned decisions about filial cannibalism. Proc Biol Sci 2010; 277:2627-35. [PMID: 20410042 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2010.0234] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Filial cannibalism occurs in many animal species ranging from insects to mammals, and is especially well described in teleost fishes. Numerous causes may lead to this behaviour, e.g. certainty of paternity. However, the cues males use to assess their paternity often remain unknown. One possible way to differentiate between own and foreign offspring is by using egg cues. Nevertheless, in egg-laying species, evidence for this is still scarce. In this study, male three-spined sticklebacks (Gasterosteus aculeatus), a fish with paternal care in which sneaking as well as filial cannibalism is common, were allowed to care for manipulated nests that contained different percentages of own fertilized eggs. After 7 days, embryo survival was determined. Furthermore, brood-caring as well as aggressive behaviour was measured daily. Clutches containing a higher proportion of foreign eggs were more likely to be completely cannibalized than clutches containing a lower proportion of foreign eggs, particularly when the clutch was laid early in the breeding season. However, the behavioural observations revealed no influence of paternity. The results show that paternity triggers filial cannibalism in sticklebacks and that males are able to evaluate their paternity using egg cues alone.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marion Mehlis
- Institute for Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, University of Bonn, An der Immenburg 1, 53121 Bonn, Germany.
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43
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Frommen JG, Mehlis M, Bakker TCM. Predator-inspection behaviour in female three-spined sticklebacks Gasterosteus aculeatus is associated with status of gravidity. J Fish Biol 2009; 75:2143-2153. [PMID: 20738678 DOI: 10.1111/j.1095-8649.2009.02408.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
Differences in predator-inspection behaviour between gravid and non-gravid female as well as between male and female three-spined sticklebacks Gasterosteus aculeatus were investigated. Gravid females confronted with a live rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss showed bolder inspection behaviour than non-gravid ones. The behaviour of gravid females was comparable with that of males, maybe because both face a high risk of predation. The results indicate that antipredator behaviour in female G. aculeatus is not fixed but adjusted to their reproductive state.
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Affiliation(s)
- J G Frommen
- Konrad Lorenz Institute for Ethology, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Savoyenstr. 1a, 1160 Vienna, Austria.
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Mehlis M, Bakker TCM, Langen K, Frommen JG. Cain and Abel reloaded? Kin recognition and male-male aggression in three-spined sticklebacks Gasterosteus aculeatus L. J Fish Biol 2009; 75:2154-2162. [PMID: 20738679 DOI: 10.1111/j.1095-8649.2009.02407.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
The influence of relatedness on male-male aggression was tested in three-spined sticklebacks Gasterosteus aculeatus. The intensity of aggression against brothers and non-kin males did not differ significantly, indicating that kin recognition plays at most a minor role in aggressive interactions between male G. aculeatus.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Mehlis
- Institute for Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, University of Bonn, An der Immenburg 1, 53121 Bonn, Germany.
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45
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Baldauf SA, Kullmann H, Thünken T, Winter S, Bakker TCM. Computer animation as a tool to study preferences in the cichlid Pelvicachromis taeniatus. J Fish Biol 2009; 75:738-746. [PMID: 20738572 DOI: 10.1111/j.1095-8649.2009.02347.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
Four choice experiments were conducted with both sexes of the cichlid Pelvicachromis taeniatus using computer-manipulated stimuli of digital images differing in movement, body shape or colouration. The results show that computer animations can be useful and flexible tools in studying preferences of a cichlid with complex and variable preferences for different visual cues.
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Affiliation(s)
- S A Baldauf
- Institute for Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, University of Bonn an der Immenburg 1, D-53121 Bonn, Germany.
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46
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Baldauf SA, Kullmann H, Schroth SH, Thünken T, Bakker TCM. You can't always get what you want: size assortative mating by mutual mate choice as a resolution of sexual conflict. BMC Evol Biol 2009; 9:129. [PMID: 19515244 PMCID: PMC2719620 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2148-9-129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2008] [Accepted: 06/10/2009] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Assortative mating patterns for mate quality traits like body size are often observed in nature. However, the underlying mechanisms that cause assortative mating patterns are less well known. Sexual selection is one important explanation for assortment, suggesting that i) one (usually the female) or both sexes could show preferences for mates of similar size or ii) mutual mate choice could resolve sexual conflict over quality traits into assortment. We tested these hypotheses experimentally in the socially monogamous cichlid fish Pelvicachromis taeniatus, in which mate choice is mutual. Results In mate choice experiments, both sexes preferred large mates irrespective of own body size suggesting mating preferences are not size-assortative. Especially males were highly selective for large females, probably because female body size signals direct fitness benefits. However, when potential mates were able to interact and assess each other mutually they showed size-assortative mating patterns, i.e. the likelihood to mate was higher in pairs with low size differences between mates. Conclusion Due to variation in body size, general preferences for large mating partners result in a sexual conflict: small, lower quality individuals who prefer themselves large partners are unacceptable for larger individuals. Relative size mismatches between mates translate into a lower likelihood to mate, suggesting that the threshold to accept mates depends on own body size. These results suggest that the underlying mechanism of assortment in P. taeniatus is mutual mate choice resolving the sexual conflict over mates, rather than preference for mates of similar size.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian A Baldauf
- Institute for Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, University of Bonn, An der Immenburg 1, D-53121 Bonn, Germany.
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47
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Thünken T, Waltschyk N, Bakker TCM, Kullmann H. Olfactory self-recognition in a cichlid fish. Anim Cogn 2009; 12:717-24. [PMID: 19462188 DOI: 10.1007/s10071-009-0231-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2008] [Revised: 04/09/2009] [Accepted: 04/29/2009] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Animal self-cognizance might be of importance in different contexts like territoriality, self-referent mate-choice or kin recognition. We investigated whether the cichlid fish Pelvicachromis taeniatus is able to recognize own olfactory cues. P. taeniatus is a cave breeding fish with pronounced brood care and social behavior. In the experiments we gave male cave owners the choice between two caves in which we introduced scented water. In a first experiment males preferred caves with their own odor over caves with the odor of an unfamiliar, unrelated male. To examine whether self-recognition is based rather on individual or on family cues we conducted two further experiments in which males could choose between their own odor and the odor of a familiar brother and between the odor of a familiar brother and an unfamiliar, unrelated male, respectively. Males preferred their own odor over that of a familiar brother suggesting individual self-referencing. Interestingly, males (at least outbred ones) preferred the odor of an unfamiliar, unrelated male over that of a familiar brother, maybe to avoid competition with kin. We discuss the results in the context of animal self-cognizance. All experiments were conducted with in- and outbred fish. Inbreeding did not negatively affect self-recognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timo Thünken
- Institute for Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, University of Bonn, An der Immenburg 1, Bonn 53121, Germany.
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48
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Frommen JG, Hiermes M, Bakker TCM. Disentangling the effects of group size and density on shoaling decisions of three-spined sticklebacks (Gasterosteus aculeatus). Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2009. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-009-0767-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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Kullmann H, Thünken T, Baldauf SA, Bakker TCM, Frommen JG. Fish odour triggers conspecific attraction behaviour in an aquatic invertebrate. Biol Lett 2008; 4:458-60. [PMID: 18593668 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2008.0246] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Group living has evolved as an adaptation to predation in many animal species. In a multitude of vertebrates, the tendency to aggregate varies with the risk of predation, but experimental evidence for this is less well known in invertebrates. Here, we examine the tendency to aggregate in the freshwater amphipod Gammarus pulex in the absence and presence of predator fish odour. Without fish odour, the gammarids showed no significant tendency to aggregate. In contrast to this, in fish-conditioned water, they significantly preferred to stay close to conspecifics. Predation risk can, thus, influence gammarids social behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harald Kullmann
- Institute for Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, University of Bonn, An der Immenburg 1, 53121 Bonn, Germany
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