Does donor group size matter? The response of guppies (Poecilia reticulata) and convict cichlids (Amatitlania nigrofasciata) to disturbance cues from conspecific and heterospecific donors

Prey are under immense pressure to make context-specific, behavioural decisions. Prey use public information to reduce the costs associated with making inappropriate decisions. Chemical cues are commonly used by aquatic vertebrates to assess local threats and facilitate behavioural decision making. Previous studies on chemosensory assessment of risk have largely focused on damage-released alarm cues, with the cues released by disturbed or stressed prey (i.e., disturbance cues) receiving less attention. Disturbance cues are “early-warning signals” common among aquatic vertebrates that may warn conspecific and heterospecific prey guild members of potential risk. Initially, we conducted a series of laboratory studies to determine (i) if guppies (Poecilia reticulata Peters, 1859) produce and respond to disturbance cues and (ii) if relative concentration (donor group size) determines response intensity. Secondly, we examined if guppies and convict cichlids (Amatitlania nigrofasciata (Günther, 1867)) show similar response patterns to their own vs. heterospecific disturbance cues. Our results suggest that guppies exhibit increased predator avoidance behaviour to conspecific disturbance cues (relative to water from undisturbed conspecifics) and increased donor group size lead to stronger antipredator responses. However, although guppies and cichlids respond to each other’s disturbance cues, we found no effect of donor group size towards heterospecific disturbance cues. Our results suggest that disturbance cues are not generalized cues and present a degree of species-specificity.

Download Full-text

Serial monogamy benefits both sexes in the biparental convict cichlid

PeerJ ◽

10.7717/peerj.6535 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 7 ◽

pp. e6535 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Jennifer L. Snekser ◽

Murray Itzkowitz

Keyword(s):

Reproductive Success ◽

Brood Size ◽

Parental Behavior ◽

Convict Cichlid ◽

Costs And Benefits ◽

Serial Monogamy ◽

Convict Cichlids ◽

Amatitlania Nigrofasciata ◽

Males And Females

Monogamy can be either long-term or serial, with new pairs formed with each breeding bout. Costs and benefits are associated with each strategy. Because biparental convict cichlids (Amatitlania nigrofasciata) typically switch mates, exhibiting serial monogamy, we tested for the costs associated with forcing individuals to remain with the same mate. Convict cichlids were observed over two successive breeding bouts, either with the same or a new, equally experienced, mate. Parental behavior did not differ between breeding bouts, nor did brood size. Surprisingly, fish that remained with their original partner for a second bout took significantly longer to produce a brood compared to fish that paired with new partners. New partners were also more likely to successfully produce a second brood than re-mated partners. This is in contrast to the majority of bird studies that show many benefits to staying with the same partner for multiple broods. In convict cichlids, there seems to be no benefit associated with remaining with the same partner and switching mates reduces duration between broods for both males and females, potentially increasing overall reproductive success.

Download Full-text

Disturbance cues in freshwater prey fishes: do juvenile convict cichlids and rainbow trout respond to ammonium as an ‘early warning’ signal?

Chemoecology ◽

10.1007/s00049-008-0412-5 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 18 (4) ◽

pp. 255-261 ◽

Cited By ~ 25

Author(s):

Meaghan A. Vavrek ◽

Chris K. Elvidge ◽

Robert DeCaire ◽

Brenna Belland ◽

Christopher D. Jackson ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Rainbow Trout ◽

Early Warning ◽

Warning Signal ◽

Early Warning Signal ◽

Convict Cichlids ◽

Disturbance Cues

Download Full-text

Effects of group size on the threat-sensitive response to varying concentrations of chemical alarm cues by juvenile convict cichlids

Canadian Journal of Zoology ◽

10.1139/z05-166 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 84 (1) ◽

pp. 1-8 ◽

Cited By ~ 64

Author(s):

Grant E Brown ◽

Tony Bongiorno ◽

Daniel M DiCapua ◽

Laura I Ivan ◽

Ellie Roh

Keyword(s):

Group Size ◽

Predator Avoidance ◽

Response Pattern ◽

Distilled Water ◽

Alarm Cues ◽

Response Patterns ◽

Alarm Cue ◽

Convict Cichlids ◽

Graded Response ◽

Chemical Alarm Cues

The threat-sensitive predator avoidance model predicts that prey should balance the intensity of antipredator responses against perceived predation risk, resulting in a graded response pattern. Recent studies have demonstrated considerable interspecific variation in the intensity of threat-sensitive response patterns, ranging from strongly graded to relatively nongraded or "hypersensitive" threat-sensitive response patterns. Here, we test for intraspecific plasticity in threat-sensitive responses by varying group size. We exposed juvenile convict cichlids, Archocentrus nigrofasciatus (Günther, 1867), as individuals or in small (groups of three) or large (groups of six) shoals to a series of dilutions of conspecific chemical alarm cues and a distilled water control. Singleton cichlids exhibited significant reductions in time spent moving and in frequency of foraging attempts (relative to distilled water controls) when exposed to a 12.5% dilution of conspecific alarm cue, with no difference in response intensity at higher stimulus concentrations, suggesting a nongraded (hypersensitive) response pattern. Small shoals exhibited a similar response pattern, but at a higher response threshold (25% dilution of stock alarm cue solution). Large shoals, however, exhibited a graded response pattern. These results suggest that group size influences the trade-off between predator avoidance and other fitness related activities, resulting in flexible threat-sensitive response patterns.

Download Full-text

Does being paired give male and female convict cichlids (Amatitlania nigrofasciata) an advantage when competing against same-sex individuals?

acta ethologica ◽

10.1007/s10211-009-0065-6 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 12 (2) ◽

pp. 115-120 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Jennifer Gagliardi-Seeley ◽

Murray Itzkowitz

Keyword(s):

Same Sex ◽

Male And Female ◽

Convict Cichlids ◽

Amatitlania Nigrofasciata

Download Full-text

Dominant convict cichlids (Amatitlania nigrofasciata) grow faster than subordinates when fed an equal ration

Behaviour ◽

10.1163/000579511x581747 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 148 (8) ◽

pp. 877-887 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

James W.A. Grant ◽

Gavin Lee ◽

Perry Comolli

Keyword(s):

Social Stress ◽

Strong Support ◽

Convict Cichlids ◽

The Social ◽

Amatitlania Nigrofasciata ◽

Dominant Fish ◽

Visual Interactions ◽

Growth Differences ◽

Growth Differential ◽

Rule Out

AbstractPrevious studies indicate that dominant fish grow faster than subordinate fish when fed equal rations. It is unclear, however, whether this growth differential is caused by intrinsic differences related to their propensity to become dominant, or by the extrinsic effect of the social stress experienced by subordinates. We first tested whether dominant convict cichlids (Amatitlania nigrofasciata) grew faster than subordinates when fed an equal amount of food. Second, we tested whether the growth advantage of dominants occurred when only visual interactions were allowed between pairs of fish. Third, we randomly assigned social status to the fish to rule out the possibility that intrinsic differences between fish were responsible for both the establishment of dominance and the growth differences. In three separate experiments, dominant fish grew faster than size-matched subordinate convict cichlids, but the growth advantage of dominants was higher when there were direct interactions between fish compared to only visual interactions. Our results provide strong support for the hypothesis that the slower growth rate of subordinate fish was due to the physiological costs of stress.

Download Full-text