| 1. |
- Berglund, Anders, et al.
(författare)
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Baltic pipefish females need twice as many males as they get
- 2017
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Ingår i: Behavioral Ecology. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 1045-2249 .- 1465-7279. ; 28:3, s. 827-832
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Sex role reversal in 2 pipefish species, Syngnathus typhle and Nerophis ophidion, is potentially explained by females reproducing twice as fast as males. Moreover, in oceanic populations from the Swedish west coast, females compete for males with males pre- ferring to mate with larger females. However, in a brackish Baltic population of S. typhle, males do not prefer larger mates, whereas choosiness remains in the local N. ophidion population. We explore whether this absence of male choice in brackish S. typhle can be explained by males and females having more similar potential reproductive rates here, whereas the sex difference may remain in the local N. ophidion population. Contrary to our expectations, in both species, females out-reproduced males by a factor of more than 2, just as in the oceanic populations. We measured this experimentally as the number of males a female potentially could fill with eggs within the time span of 1 male pregnancy, in relation to males available in nature. Thus, we conclude that sexual selection on females is as strong in brackish as in oceanic populations of both species but that targets of selection via male choice are shifted to traits other than body size in S. typhle. Hence, costs and benefits of choice are probably more important than potential reproductive rates to understand mate choice. We suggest that it may be misleading to use targets of sexual selection, such as choice for large body size, as an indicator of the strength of sexual selection.
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| 2. |
- Clark, Timothy D., et al.
(författare)
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Maximum thermal limits of coral reef damselfishes are size dependent and resilient to near-future ocean acidification
- 2017
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Ingår i: Journal of Experimental Biology. - : COMPANY OF BIOLOGISTS LTD. - 0022-0949 .- 1477-9145. ; 220:19, s. 3519-3526
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Theoretical models predict that ocean acidification, caused by increased dissolved CO2, will reduce the maximum thermal limits of fishes, thereby increasing their vulnerability to rising ocean temperatures and transient heatwaves. Here, we tested this prediction in three species of damselfishes on the Great Barrier Reef, Australia. Maximum thermal limits were quantified using critical thermal maxima (CTmax) tests following acclimation to either presentday or end-of-century levels of CO2 for coral reef environments (similar to 500 or similar to 1000 mu atm, respectively). While species differed significantly in their thermal limits, whereby Dischistodus perspicillatus exhibited greater CTmax (37.88 +/- 0.03 degrees C; N=47) than Dascyllus aruanus (37.68 +/- 0.02 degrees C; N=85) and Acanthochromis polyacanthus (36.58 +/- 0.02 degrees C; N=63), end-of-century CO2 had no effect (D. aruanus) or a slightly positive effect (increase in CTmax of 0.16 degrees C in D. perspicillatus and 0.21 degrees C in A. polyacanthus) on CTmax. Contrary to expectations, early-stage juveniles were equally as resilient to CO2 as larger conspecifics, and CTmax was higher at smaller body sizes in two species. These findings suggest that ocean acidification will not impair the maximum thermal limits of reef fishes, and they highlight the critical role of experimental biology in testing predictions of theoretical models forecasting the consequences of environmental change.
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| 3. |
- Clark, Timothy D., et al.
(författare)
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Ocean acidification does not impair the behaviour of coral reef fishes
- 2020
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Ingår i: Nature. - : Springer Nature. - 0028-0836 .- 1476-4687. ; 577:7790, s. 370-375
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The partial pressure of CO2 in the oceans has increased rapidly over the past century, driving ocean acidification and raising concern for the stability of marine ecosystems1,2,3. Coral reef fishes are predicted to be especially susceptible to end-of-century ocean acidification on the basis of several high-profile papers4,5 that have reported profound behavioural and sensory impairments—for example, complete attraction to the chemical cues of predators under conditions of ocean acidification. Here, we comprehensively and transparently show that—in contrast to previous studies—end-of-century ocean acidification levels have negligible effects on important behaviours of coral reef fishes, such as the avoidance of chemical cues from predators, fish activity levels and behavioural lateralization (left–right turning preference). Using data simulations, we additionally show that the large effect sizes and small within-group variances that have been reported in several previous studies are highly improbable. Together, our findings indicate that the reported effects of ocean acidification on the behaviour of coral reef fishes are not reproducible, suggesting that behavioural perturbations will not be a major consequence for coral reef fishes in high CO2 oceans.
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| 4. |
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| 5. |
- Jutfelt, Fredrik, et al.
(författare)
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Two-current choice flumes for testing avoidance and preference in aquatic animals
- 2017
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Ingår i: Methods in Ecology and Evolution. - : John Wiley & Sons. - 2041-210X. ; 8:3, s. 379-390
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- Aquatic chemical ecology is an important and growing field of research that involves understanding how organisms perceive and respond to chemical cues in their environment. Research assessing the preference or avoidance of a water source containing specific chemical cues has increased in popularity in recent years, and a variety of methods have been described in the scientific literature. Two-current choice flumes have seen the greatest increase in popularity, perhaps because of their potential to address the broadest range of research questions.Here, we review the literature on two-current choice flumes and show that there is a clear absence of standardized methodologies that make comparisons across studies difficult. Some of the main issues include turbulent flows that cause mixing of cues, inappropriate size of choice arenas for the animals, short experiments with stressed animals, failure to report how experiment and researcher biases were eliminated, general underreporting of methodological details, underutilization of collected data and inappropriate data analyses.In this review, we present best practice guidelines on how to build, test and use two-current choice flumes to measure the behavioural responses of aquatic animals to chemical cues, and provide blueprints for flume construction. The guidelines include steps that can be taken to avoid problems commonly encountered when using two-current choice flumes and analysing the resulting data.This review provides a set of standards that should be followed to ensure data quality, transparency and replicability in future studies in this field.
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| 6. |
- Morgan, Rachael, et al.
(författare)
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Are model organisms representative for climate change research? : Testing thermal tolerance in wild and laboratory zebrafish populations
- 2019
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Ingår i: Conservation Physiology. - : Oxford University Press. - 2051-1434. ; 7:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Model organisms can be useful for studying climate change impacts, but it is unclear whether domestication to laboratory conditions has altered their thermal tolerance and therefore how representative of wild populations they are. Zebrafish in the wild live in fluctuating thermal environments that potentially reach harmful temperatures. In the laboratory, zebrafish have gone through four decades of domestication and adaptation to stable optimal temperatures with few thermal extremes. If maintaining thermal tolerance is costly or if genetic traits promoting laboratory fitness at optimal temperature differ from genetic traits for high thermal tolerance, the thermal tolerance of laboratory zebrafish could be hypothesized to be lower than that of wild zebrafish. Furthermore, very little is known about the thermal environment of wild zebrafish and how close to their thermal limits they live. Here, we compared the acute upper thermal tolerance (critical thermal maxima; CTmax) of wild zebrafish measured on-site in West Bengal, India, to zebrafish at three laboratory acclimation/domestication levels: wild-caught, F-1 generation wild-caught and domesticated laboratory AB-WT line. We found that in the wild, CTmax increased with increasing site temperature. Yet at the warmest site, zebrafish lived very close to their thermal limit, suggesting that they may currently encounter lethal temperatures. In the laboratory, acclimation temperature appeared to have a stronger effect on CTmax than it did in the wild. The fish in the wild also had a 0.85-1.01 degrees C lower CTmax compared to all laboratory populations. This difference between laboratory-held and wild populations shows that environmental conditions can affect zebrafish's thermal tolerance. However, there was no difference in CTmax between the laboratory-held populations regardless of the domestication duration. This suggests that thermal tolerance is maintained during domestication and highlights that experiments using domesticated laboratory-reared model species can be appropriate for addressing certain questions on thermal tolerance and global warming impacts.
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| 7. |
- Raby, Graham D., et al.
(författare)
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Exposure to elevated carbon dioxide does not impair short-term swimming behaviour or shelter-seeking in a predatory coral-reef fish
- 2018
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Ingår i: Journal of Fish Biology. - : Wiley. - 0022-1112 .- 1095-8649. ; 93:1, s. 138-142
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Adult bluespotted rockcod Cephalopholis cyanostigma, a coral-reef grouper, were acclimated to either ambient (mean +/- s.d. 406 +/- 21 atm; 1 atmos = 101325 Pa) or high pCO(2) (945 +/- 116 atm) conditions in a laboratory for 8-9 days, then released at the water surface directly above a reef (depth c. 5 m) and followed on video camera (for 191 +/- 21 s) by scuba divers until they sought cover in the reef. No differences were detected between groups in any of the six measured variables, which included the time fish spent immobile after release, tail beat frequency during swimming and the time required to locate and enter the protective shelter of the reef.
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| 8. |
- Raby, Graham D., et al.
(författare)
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Swim for it : Effects of simulated fisheries capture on the post-release behaviour of four Great Barrier Reef fishes
- 2018
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Ingår i: Fisheries Research. - : ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV. - 0165-7836 .- 1872-6763. ; 206, s. 129-137
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- After being caught and released by a fishery, some animals may be sufficiently impaired so as to be vulnerable to predators. The duration and severity of post-release impairments have rarely been studied under natural conditions; the vitality of animals is usually assessed aboard a vessel, prior to release, while examinations of post-release behaviour are usually restricted to what is within view of a vessel. In this study, we quantified the post-release behavior of the common coral trout (Plectropomus leopardess), two species of emperor (Lethrinus spp.), and the Spanish flag snapper (Lutjanus carponotatus), each of which is actively fished throughout the Great Barrier Reef. SCUBA divers followed fish in the field and recorded their behavior with underwater video cameras after a simulated catch-and-release event. Relative to a low stress treatment (held in an aerated tank prior to release), fish exposed to forced exercise and 5 min of air exposure spent more time in vulnerable positions after release, including 5.8 x more time immobile under the boat upon release, 1.6 x more time to reach the reef floor, and 2.4 x longer to reach the protection of the reef. The effects of the catch-and-release simulation on tailbeat frequency, ventilation rate, and the proportion of overall time spent immobile were not significant except in L. carponotatus, which spent significantly more time immobile when exposed to the high stress treatment. Indeed, there were some notable differences among species, with the magnitude of the behavioural impairments being lower and less variable in coral trout than in Lethrinus spp. or L. carponotatus. These findings provide support for the notion that minimizing air exposure time in hook-and-line fisheries should reduce post-release behavioural impairments and thus vulnerability to predators.
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| 9. |
- Roche, Dominique G., et al.
(författare)
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Behavioural lateralization in a detour test is not repeatable in fishes
- 2020
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Ingår i: Animal Behaviour. - : Elsevier BV. - 0003-3472 .- 1095-8282. ; 167, s. 55-64
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Behavioural lateralization, the asymmetric expression of cognitive functions, is reported to enhance key fitness-relevant traits such as group coordination, multitasking and predator escape. Therefore, studies reporting negative effects on lateralization in fish due to environmental stressors such as ocean acidification, hypoxia and pollutants are worrisome. However, such studies tend to use a detour test and focus on population level measures, without validating whether lateralization is consistent within individuals across time. We conducted a multispecies, international assessment of the repeatability (R) of lateralization in four previously studied fish species using a detour test (T-maze), a common method for testing lateralization. We also reanalysed a published data set on a fifth species using new statistical methods. We expected the three shoaling species to exhibit greater within-individual consistency in lateralization than their nonshoaling counterparts given previous reports of stronger lateralization in group-living fishes. Absolute and relative lateralization scores were highly nonrepeatable in all five species (0.01<R<0.08), irrespective of their shoaling status. We carefully reviewed 31 published studies in which the detour test was employed to examine lateralization in fish and identified statistical issues in all of them. We develop and propose new statistical analyses to test for population and individual level lateralization. The commonly used detour test does not appear to be appropriate for quantifying behavioural lateralization in fishes, calling into question functional inferences drawn by many published studies, including our own. Potential fitness benefits of lateralization and anthropogenic effects on lateralization as a proxy for adaptive brain functioning need to be assessed with alternative paradigms.
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| 10. |
- Saaristo, Minna, et al.
(författare)
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Direct and indirect effects of chemical contaminants on the behaviour, ecology and evolution of wildlife
- 2018
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Ingår i: Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Biological Sciences. - : ROYAL SOC. - 0962-8452 .- 1471-2954. ; 285:1885
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- Chemical contaminants (e.g. metals, pesticides, pharmaceuticals) are changing ecosystems via effects on wildlife. Indeed, recent work explicitly performed under environmentally realistic conditions reveals that chemical contaminants can have both direct and indirect effects at multiple levels of organization by influencing animal behaviour. Altered behaviour reflects multiple physiological changes and links individual-to population-level processes, thereby representing a sensitive tool for holistically assessing impacts of environmentally relevant contaminant concentrations. Here, we show that even if direct effects of contaminants on behavioural responses are reasonably well documented, there are significant knowledge gaps in understanding both the plasticity (i.e. individual variation) and evolution of contaminant-induced behavioural changes. We explore implications of multi-level processes by developing a conceptual framework that integrates direct and indirect effects on behaviour under environmentally realistic contexts. Our framework illustrates how sublethal behavioural effects of contaminants can be both negative and positive, varying dynamically within the same individuals and populations. This is because linkages within communities will act indirectly to alter and even magnify contaminant-induced effects. Given the increasing pressure on wildlife and ecosystems from chemical pollution, we argue there is a need to incorporate existing knowledge in ecology and evolution to improve ecological hazard and risk assessments.
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| 11. |
- Sundin, Josefin, 1981-, et al.
(författare)
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9-28 d of exposure to elevated pCO(2) reduces avoidance of predator odour but had no effect on behavioural lateralization or swimming activity in a temperate wrasse (Ctenolabrus rupestris)
- 2016
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Ingår i: Ices Journal of Marine Science. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 1054-3139 .- 1095-9289. ; 73:3, s. 620-632
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Most studies on the impact of near-future levels of carbon dioxide on fish behaviour report behavioural alterations, wherefore abnormal behaviour has been suggested to be a potential consequence of future ocean acidification and therefore a threat to ocean ecosystems. However, an increasing number of studies show tolerance of fish to increased levels of carbon dioxide. This variation among studies in susceptibility highlights the importance of continued investigation of the possible effects of elevated pCO(2). Here, we investigated the impacts of increased levels of carbon dioxide on behaviour using the goldsinny wrasse (Ctenolabrus rupestris), which is a common species in European coastal waters and widely used as cleaner fish to control sea lice infestation in commercial fish farming in Europe. The wrasses were exposed to control water conditions (370 mu atm) or elevated pCO(2) (995 mu atm) for 1 month, during which time behavioural trials were performed. We investigated the possible effects of CO2 on behavioural lateralization, swimming activity, and prey and predator olfactory preferences, all behaviours where disturbances have previously been reported in other fish species after exposure to elevated CO2. Interestingly, we failed to detect effects of carbon dioxide for most behaviours investigated, excluding predator olfactory cue avoidance, where control fish initially avoided predator cue while the high CO2 group was indifferent. The present study therefore shows behavioural tolerance to increased levels of carbon dioxide in the goldsinny wrasse. We also highlight that individual fish can show disturbance in specific behaviours while being apparently unaffected by elevated pCO(2) in other behavioural tests. However, using experiments with exposure times measured in weeks to predict possible effects of long-term drivers, such as ocean acidification, has limitations, and the behavioural effects from elevated pCO(2) in this experiment cannot be viewed as proof that these fish would show the same reaction after decades of evolution.
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| 12. |
- Sundin, Josefin, 1981-, et al.
(författare)
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Behavioural alterations induced by the anxiolytic pollutant oxazepam are reversible after depuration in a freshwater fish
- 2019
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Ingår i: Science of the Total Environment. - : Elsevier. - 0048-9697 .- 1879-1026. ; 665, s. 390-399
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Anthropogenic pharmaceutical pollutants have been detected in nature across the globe, and recent work has shown negative effects of pharmaceuticals on the health and welfare of many animals. However, whether alterations can be reversed has been poorly investigated, although such studies are essential to assess the effects of high-peak exposure events in waterways where pharmaceutical concentrations are usually low. In this study, we investigated the effects of two concentrations (environmentally relevant 1 μg L−1 and high 100 μg L−1) of oxazepam, an anxiolytic commonly detected in aquatic environments, and whether behavioural alterations are reversible after depuration. Specifically, we measured daytime and night-time swimming activity and daytime behaviours related to boldness (foraging, sheltering and routine swimming activity) using the freshwater burbot (Lota lota). We found that both swimming activity and boldness were affected by oxazepam. Fish exposed to the higher level had a higher burst swimming duration (i.e., fast swimming bouts), both in the daytime and night-time trials. Further, fish exposed to the lower oxazepam level spent less time sheltering than control- and high-level exposed fish, but there was no difference between the control and high oxazepam treatments. For routine swimming activity, quantified in the boldness trials, and for latency to forage, there were no treatment effects. When retesting the fish after depuration, the detected behavioural alterations were no longer present. Since the magnitude of these effects were not consistent across endpoints, our study suggests that oxazepam might not be a great concern for this particular, stress tolerant, species, highlighting the importance of evaluating species-specific effects of pharmaceuticals. The observation that the effects we did find were reversible after depuration is encouraging, and indicates that rapid restoration of behaviours after removal from oxazepam contamination is possible.
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| 13. |
- Sundin, Josefin, 1981-, et al.
(författare)
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Effects of elevated carbon dioxide on male and female behavioural lateralization in a temperate goby
- 2018
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Ingår i: Royal Society Open Science. - : ROYAL SOC. - 2054-5703. ; 5:3
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Behavioural abnormality in fishes has been proposed as a significant consequence of the increasing levels of carbon dioxide occurring in the oceans. Negative effects of elevated CO2 have been reported for behaviours such as predator-prey interactions, foraging, hearing and behavioural lateralization. Importantly, the effects vary greatly both within and between species, and some recent studies have shown minimal effects of CO2 on behaviour. Whether the effect of CO2 also varies between males and females is, however, virtually unexplored. According to resource allocation theory; females are expected to be more sensitive to elevated CO2, meaning that non-sex-specific studies may overlook ecologically important differences between the sexes. In this study, we investigated the possible differences between males and females in their response to elevated CO2 by performing behavioural lateralization tests in adult temperate two-spotted gobies, Gobiusculus flavescens. We found that the strength of the side bias (absolute lateralization) was unaffected by the CO2 treatment, and there was no difference between males and females. The control fish were slightly right-biased in their behavioural asymmetry (mean relative lateralization of 14). Exposure to high CO2 affected this pattern, such that treated fish were slightly left-biased (mean relative lateralization of -10), regardless of their sex. The same results were obtained yet again when the study was repeated during a second year. We discuss our results in light of the great variation in lateralization that has been reported to depend on variables such as species, ecological settings and environmental factors.
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| 14. |
- Sundin, Josefin, 1981-, et al.
(författare)
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Human induced turbidity alters reproductive success and the stength of sexual selection in a pipefish
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Annan publikation (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Human induced environmental change has the potential to alter species interactions, population dynamics and evolutionary processes. One such environmental change is algal induced turbidity, caused by eutrophication. While changes in mate choice and sexual selection due to turbidity has been demonstrated, the possible impact on mating systems remains to be explored. In this study we investigated the impact of algal turbidity on reproductive success, mating system and sexual selection using two populations of the broad-nosed pipefish, Syngnathus typhle, one from the Swedish west coast and one from the Baltic Sea. Under natural conditions, both populations practise a polygynandrous mating system with males as well as females having several partners. However, in a population from the Venice lagoon, where turbidity levels are high, the male mating system is shifted towards polyandry, with most males mating with one female only. In an experimental setting we tested whether this shift in mating system could be driven by turbidity alone. Contrary to our expectations, we found no effect of turbidity on the male mating system in terms of a general shift towards genetic polyandry. However, a positive relationship between male body length and number of mates was stronger in turbid environments for the Baltic Sea population. This indicates that although turbidity did not seem to affect the number of females a male mated with it has the potential to affect the strength of sexual selection. Further, for this population the turbid environment resulted in lower reproductive success.
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| 15. |
- Sundin, Josefin, 1981-, et al.
(författare)
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Hypoxia delay mating in the broad-nosed pipefish
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Annan publikation (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Courtship is often an important part of the reproductive process with functions such as ensuring reproductive compatibility, reducing hostility between the potential partners, and conveying individual quality. Except for the importance of the courtship behaviours themselves, latency until courting and mating is a key factor of the mating process. One factor in aquatic environments that has the potential to influence courtship behaviours is the level of dissolved oxygen, and hypoxic areas are currently spreading due to human activities, such as eutrophication. In this study we used the well-studied broad-nosed pipefish, Syngnathus typhle, to investigate the impact of hypoxia on reproductive behaviours preceding mating, on the latency until these behaviours occurred, and on the probability to mate. We found that time spent courting as well as probability to mate was unaffected by the oxygen treatment. Interestingly, we found that latency until courting and mating was prolonged in the oxygen-deprived environment. These results suggest that levels of low oxygen due to human activities can have implications for important aspects of reproductive behaviours.
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| 16. |
- Sundin, Josefin, 1981-, et al.
(författare)
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Long-term exposure to elevated carbon dioxide does not alter activity levels of a coral reef fish in response to predator chemical cues
- 2017
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Ingår i: Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology. - : SPRINGER. - 0340-5443 .- 1432-0762. ; 71:8
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Levels of dissolved carbon dioxide (CO2) projected to occur in the world's oceans in the near future have been reported to increase swimming activity and impair predator recognition in coral reef fishes. These behavioral alterations would be expected to have dramatic effects on survival and community dynamics in marine ecosystems in the future. To investigate the universality and replicability of these observations, we used juvenile spiny chromis damselfish (Acanthochromis polyacanthus) to examine the effects of long-term CO 2 exposure on routine activity and the behavioral response to the chemical cues of a predator (Cephalopholis urodeta). Commencing at similar to 3-20 days post-hatch, juvenile damselfish were exposed to presentday CO2 levels (similar to 420 mu atm) or to levels forecasted for the year 2100 (similar to 1000 mu atm) for 3 months of their development. Thereafter, we assessed routine activity before and after injections of seawater (sham injection, control) or seawater-containing predator chemical cues. There was no effect of CO2 treatment on routine activity levels before or after the injections. All fish decreased their swimming activity following the predator cue injection but not following the sham injection, regardless of CO2 treatment. Our results corroborate findings from a growing number of studies reporting limited or no behavioral responses of fishes to elevated CO2. Significance statement Alarmingly, it has been reported that levels of dissolved carbon dioxide (CO2) forecasted for the year 2100 cause coral reef fishes to be attracted to the chemical cues of predators. However, most studies have exposed the fish to CO2 for very short periods before behavioral testing. Using long-term acclimation to elevated CO2 and automated tracking software, we found that fish exposed to elevated CO2 showed the same behavioral patterns as control fish exposed to present-day CO2 levels. Specifically, activity levels were the same between groups, and fish acclimated to elevated CO2 decreased their swimming activity to the same degree as control fish when presented with cues from a predator. These findings indicate that behavioral impacts of elevated CO2 levels are not universal in coral reef fishes.
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| 17. |
- Sundin, Josefin, 1981-, et al.
(författare)
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Male mate choice, but not female ornamentation, is impaired by turbidity in the straight-nosed pipefish
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Annan publikation (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Sexual ornaments are used both in intra- and intersexual contexts, and these signals have evolved to function in the particular habitat the animal is adapted to. Habitat characteristics may change rapidly due to anthropogenic effects, sometimes at rates too fast for many organisms to adaptively respond. In aquatic ecosystems, eutrophication and overfishing is currently changing chemical as well as visual properties of the environment. Algae blooms increase water turbidity, and the reduction of water transparency has the potential to alter visual ornaments and their perception. Here we found that male mate choice, but not the development of female sexual ornaments, was affected by turbidity in the straight-nosed pipefish, Nerophis ophidion. In a laboratory mate choice experiment, males preferred females with larger ornaments in clear water, while mate choice became random under turbid conditions. Female ornamentation, courtship and fecundity, on the other hand, seemed unaffected by turbidity, as no effect was found even though we investigated long-term turbidity effects. Thus, we show that water turbidity had no affect on signal expression but did hamper ornament perception and consequently altered mate choice.
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| 18. |
- Sundin, Josefin, 1981-, et al.
(författare)
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Males show their best side revisited : Effects of predation pressure on laterality in wild guppies
- 2023
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Ingår i: Ethology. - : Wiley-VCH Verlagsgesellschaft. - 0179-1613 .- 1439-0310. ; 129:8, s. 390-405
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The ability to detect and avoid predators has been suggested as one of the main drivers for behavioral lateralization. This is supported by studies reporting that animals from high-predation environments are more lateralized than those from low-predation environments. Some studies, however, have shown no effect of predator regime on lateralization. Lateralized behavior can also be driven by phenotypic asymmetry, where the more attractive side of the body is preferentially displayed during male-female interaction and courtship. The importance of fluctuating asymmetry for mate choice has been highly debated for a number of reasons. Here, we revisited the concepts of predator-induced behavioral lateralization and phenotypic asymmetry using wild Trinidadian guppies Poecilia reticulata from three different stream systems. Using fish collected from both high- and low-predation environments, we quantified behavioral lateralization in terms of directional turning bias, measured right-left body color asymmetry, and investigated whether a male side-showing preference was present in male-female interaction trials. We found that guppies were, at best, moderately lateralized on average (across all populations), without any general effect of predator regime. There were some slight stream-dependent side biases in color asymmetry, but this did not translate into a side-showing preference in any of the populations in the interaction trials. Some significant observed effects align with previously published results, but these were dependent on stream-origin and were not repeated across different experiments, complicating interpretation. We conclude that when investigating the effects of predation regime in general, and such effects on behavioral lateralization or fluctuating asymmetry in particular, attention must be focused toward several factors such as experimental assay used and population origin, and broad generalizations from results stemming from experiments including only one population should be avoided.
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| 19. |
- Sundin, Josefin, 1981-, et al.
(författare)
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No effect of elevated carbon dioxide on reproductive behaviors in the three-spined stickleback
- 2017
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Ingår i: Behavioral Ecology. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 1045-2249 .- 1465-7279. ; 28:6, s. 1482-1491
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Ocean acidification, the reduction in ocean pH resulting from anthropogenic emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2), has been predicted to alter the behavior of fishes. During experimental exposure to CO2 concentrations projected for the year 2100 (similar to 1000 mu atm), fish have been reported to display disturbances in activity, learning, behavioral lateralization, and even attraction to predator cues. Reproductive behaviors have received far less attention, despite an intensive research effort on ocean acidification and its ecological importance. Here, we investigate whether elevated levels of CO2 affect reproduction in breeding pairs of the three-spined stickleback, Gasterosteus aculeatus, a model species in behavioral, evolutionary ecology, and environmental toxicology. We found that males under both present day levels (400 mu atm) and future levels (1000 mu atm) of CO2 developed normal sexual ornaments, pursued normal nest building activities, exhibited similar levels of courtship behaviors and displacement fanning, and had the same mating probability. Moreover, fanning behavior during the paternal care period followed what is expected for the species for males from both treatments, and there was no effect of treatment on the numbers of offspring produced. This study is the first to investigate the effect of elevated CO2 on the complete breeding cycle in detail, studying an array of highly fitness-relevant traits. Our study showing surprising resilience of fish reproduction is an important contribution in order to realistically predict the impacts of future ocean acidification.
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| 20. |
- Sundin, Josefin, 1981-, et al.
(författare)
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On the Observation of Wild Zebrafish (Danio rerio) in India
- 2019
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Ingår i: Zebrafish. - : Mary Ann Liebert Inc. - 1545-8547 .- 1557-8542. ; 16:6, s. 546-553
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Zebrafish is one of the world's most widely used laboratory species, and it is utilized to answer important research questions in disparate fields such as biomedicine, genetics, developmental biology, pharmacology, toxicology, physiology, and evolution. Despite their popularity, very little is known about the biology of zebrafish in their natural habitat. This may, in part, be due to the difficulties associated with undertaking field trips to the remote areas of northern India, Nepal, and Bangladesh, which is the natural distribution range of zebrafish. Here, we present a field report describing a recent trip where we, together with local collaborators, visited several rivers in West Bengal, India, to observe wild zebrafish and their habitat. We present an overview of our observations on the biology of wild zebrafish, and the great variability of the different environments where they were found. We also include data collected on water chemistry parameters at 12 zebrafish sites, and weight data and photos of fish from these sites. We present extensive underwater videos of wild zebrafish and photographs of the sites, including video footage of courtship behavior. We show that the breeding period of wild zebrafish can be extended from the previous record of April-August to April-October. In addition, we provide practical advice for future zebrafish expeditions to this rural and inaccessible area. The goals of this article are to shed some light on the ecology of wild zebrafish, and to facilitate scientists in their future research trips. We hope that by observing zebrafish in the wild, we can increase our understanding of the natural ecology of this important model organism.
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| 21. |
- Sundin, Josefin, 1981-
(författare)
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Sex in Murky Waters : Anthropogenic Disturbance of Sexual Selection in Pipefish
- 2013
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Animals experience variation in their environment because of natural changes. However, due to anthropogenic disturbance, the speed and severity of these changes have recently increased. This thesis investigates how reproductive behaviours may be affected by human induced environmental change. In specific, I investigate how visual and chemical changes in the aquatic environment, caused by eutrophication, affect mating systems and sexual selection in fish. Broad-nosed- and straight-nosed pipefish, which both have been studied in detail for a long period, were used as model organisms. These two species are particularly suitable model organisms since they perform complex courtship behaviours, including the advertisement of ornaments and a nuptial dance. Further, two distinct populations were studied, one on the Swedish west coast and one in the Baltic Sea, as these two locations vary in the degree and extent of environmental disturbance, in particular turbidity. I found that changes in the visual environment had no impact on the development of female sexual ornaments in these sex-role reversed pipefishes, but it hampered adaptive mate choice. Turbidity also had a negative effect on reproductive success in the Baltic Sea population. Changes in the chemical environment in the form of increased pH reduced the probability to mate, while hypoxia did not alter mating propensity. However, hypoxic water delayed the onset of both courting and mating. Hence, human induced change in aquatic environments may alter the processes of sexual selection and population dynamics.
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| 22. |
- Sundin, Josefin, 1981-, et al.
(författare)
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Sex in murky waters : algal induced turbidity increases sexual selection in pipefish
- 2017
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Ingår i: Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology. - : Springer. - 0340-5443 .- 1432-0762. ; 71:5
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Algal induced turbidity has been shown to alter several important aspects of reproduction and sexual selection. However, while turbidity has been shown to negatively affect reproduction and sexually selected traits in some species, it may instead enhance reproductive success in others, implying that the impact of eutrophication is far more complex than originally believed. In this study, we aimed to provide more insight into these inconsistent findings. We used molecular tools to investigate the impact of algal turbidity on reproductive success and sexual selection on males in controlled laboratory experiments, allowing mate choice, mating competition and mate encounter rates to affect reproduction. As study species we used the broad-nosed pipefish, Syngnathus typhle, a species practicing male pregnancy and where we have previously shown that male mate choice is impaired by turbidity. Here, turbidity instead enhanced sexual selection on male size and mating success as well as reproductive success. Effects from mating competition and mate encounter rates may thus override effects from mate choice based on visual cues, producing an overall stronger sexual selection in turbid waters. Hence, seemingly inconsistent effects of turbidity on sexual selection may depend on which mechanisms of sexual selection that have been under study.
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| 23. |
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