1. |
- Ahnesjö, Ingrid, et al.
(author)
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En beteende-ekologisk forskningsperiod på Klubbans biologiska station : Rapport från återträff med Doktorer som disputerade (1983-2001) på avhandlingar med fältarbete på Klubbans Biologiska station. I en värld av kantnålar, stubbar, spiggar och nudingar.
- 2018
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Reports (pop. science, debate, etc.)abstract
- We had the fortune as PhD-students and scientists in Animal Ecology at Uppsala University, to spend joyful and creative field work summers at Klubban Biological Station, during the 1980-90’s. A reunion in June 2018 resulted in this report highlighting research on pipefishes, gobies, sticklebacks and nudibranchs. Our research on these animals have provided novel insights and knowledge of the process of sexual selection and paternal care. These animals have, in many aspects, now become model organisms in evolutionary behavioral ecology in marine environments. Our list of publications provides many examples of how environmental factors influence how sexual selection and mate choice operate, how predictors like potential reproductive rates, operational sex ratios work and how male parental care is prominent in influencing selection. This research, that started at Klubban, has broadened our understanding of the ecological importance of shallow marine areas. The evolutionary understanding of how males and females can behave and how adaptive traits are selected in interaction with social and an increasingly changing ambient environment is in focus in our continued scientific endeavors. We have happily compiled this report illustrating how science and scientist can stimulate each other at a wonderful place like Klubban Biological Station, with the access to amazing organisms like pipefishes, gobies, sticklebacks and nudibranchs.
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2. |
- Ahnesjö, Ingrid, et al.
(author)
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Variation in sexual selection in fishes
- 2008
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In: Fish Behaviour (Eds. Magnhagen, C., Braithwaite, V. A., Forsgren, E. & B. G. Kapoor). - Enfield, N.H. : Science Publishers (USA). - 9781578084357
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Book chapter (other academic/artistic)
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3. |
- Amundsen, T., et al.
(author)
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Male preference for colourful females affected by male size in a marine fish
- 2003
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In: Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology. - 0340-5443. ; 54:1, s. 55-64
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- It is becoming increasingly clear that mate preferences are not static, but can vary as a function of ecological conditions and the state of the choosing individual. This applies not only to females, the sex that has usually been the subject in research on mate preferences, but also to males. Under certain conditions, males should be selective in their choice of breeding partner. In the two-spotted goby, Gobiusculus flavescens, a small marine fish, breeding females develop conspicuous yellow-orange bellies, which they actively display to males during courtship. We have recently shown that males prefer more colourful females as mates. In this study, we test if the size of a male affects his preference for colourful females. Using three-compartment mate-choice aquaria, we recorded the interest shown by a male in two females differing in coloration but similar in size. Large and small males were equally eager to court females, but only large males showed a greater interest in the more colourful females. We suggest that small males are unselective because they usually obtain few mating opportunities, as a result of being unsuccessful in mate attraction or male contest competition. This study provides the first demonstration that the size of a male affects his preference for female colour.
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4. |
- Bjelvenmark, Jens, 1971, et al.
(author)
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Effects of mate attraction and male-male competition on paternal care in a goby
- 2003
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In: Behaviour. - 0005-7959. ; 140, s. 55-69
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Individuals should invest energy into current reproduction in relation to the possibility of gaining additional reproduction in the future. This study investigated reproductive trade-offs and paternal care in the two-spotted goby, Gobiusculus flavescens. Specifically, it provides the first experimental test of the hypothesis that increased mate availability leads to an increase in filial cannibalism. We also tested whether filial cannibalism increased with increased cost of care (presence of other males), as might be expected. In addition, we investigated whether conflicting demands (i.e. presence of potential mates and male competitors) results in lower parental expenditure. We found no evidence that male two-spotted gobies caring for eggs adjust their degree of filial cannibalism in relation to mate availability or the cost of care. However, caring males reduced the level of parental care with an increased mating effort, suggesting that they trade care of eggs against the chance of future reproduction. This effect was also apparent when other males were present, suggesting a conflict between direct egg care and defence of the nest.
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5. |
- Borg, A. A., et al.
(author)
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Plastic sex-roles in the common goby - the effect of nest availability
- 2002
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In: Oikos. - 0030-1299. ; 98:1, s. 105-115
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- One of the most important factors shaping animal sex-roles is the operational sex ratio, since a skew of this ratio promotes mating competition in the more abundant sex. In this study, we wanted to see if a change in sex-roles, related to an environmental induced change in operational sex ratio, could be demonstrated in a field situation. Common goby (Pomatoschistus microps) males build nests under bivalve shells and provide exclusive parental care. Therefore, available nest sites are crucial for successful breeding in this species and should also affect the operational sex ratio. We addressed the question of whether the availability of nest sites, through an effect on the operational sex ratio, affects courtship and mating competition in the common goby. We increased nest site availability in the field by adding potential nest material (bivalve shells) to one location. We then compared the reproductive behaviour of the gobies at this and another location with lower nest site abundance. In general, the reproductive behaviour differed as predicted. Under nest shortage, males occupied new nests and received eggs faster than under nest excess. Behavioural observations of nests revealed that males initiated courtship more often than females where nest sites were abundant, whereas female courtship dominated where nests were scarce. Males more often rejected females attempting to enter their nests under nest shortage, male sneaking attempts were also more common in this bay. Male-male aggression was frequent at both locations, whereas agonistic interactions between females only occurred in the nest shortage bay. Thus, males should be subject to sexual selection in both bays even though courtship roles differed. These results suggest that nest site availability affects mating competition and courtship roles in the common goby.
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6. |
- Borg, Åsa A., et al.
(author)
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Presence of same sex individuals negatively affects egg maturation in female guppies (Poecilia reticulata)
- 2006
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In: Behaviour. - : Brill. - 0005-7959 .- 1568-539X. ; 143, s. 747-761
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Competition with individuals of the same sex may affect reproduction, and the effect may depend on own competitive ability. We exposed individual guppy (Poecilia reticulata) females either to larger females, smaller females or held them alone for five weeks. All replicates had visual access to a sexually mature mate. At the end of the experiment, there were no significant differences in daily growth or mass between the three treatments. However, females held alone had a higher reproductive output (in terms of ovary weight and GSI) than females held with either larger or smaller companions. This was mainly caused by a higher number of fully developed eggs in the ovaries of these females. The total number of eggs (including all stages) did not differ between the treatments. We suggest that the 'extra' energy not used in reproduction in the competitive treatments might have been spent on interactions between the females. In guppies socialising with other females seems to impose a cost on female reproduction.
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7. |
- Borg, Åsa A., et al.
(author)
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Seasonal change in female choice for male size in the two-spotted goby
- 2006
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In: Animal Behaviour. - : Elsevier BV. - 0003-3472. ; 72, s. 763-771
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Mate choice may vary according to various factors, such as mate availability and variation in mate quality. We tested seasonal changes in female choice regarding male size in a marine fish, the two-spotted goby, Gobiusculus flavescens. In this species, males occupy nests in which females lay their eggs and males thereafter provide exclusive parental care of the eggs until hatching. Females are predicted to prefer large males if, for example, they are better at competing for and defending nests. In this species, the opportunity for females to be selective should decline over the breeding season as the availability of males decreases. We therefore predicted a reduction in female choosiness with season. We conducted mate choice tests, during the early (May) and later (June) part of the breeding season, in which females were allowed to choose between males differing in body length. Females chose large males early in the season, but became unselective with respect to male size later on. This change in mate choice may be caused by a reduction in overall choosiness as a result of the decline in male availability with season. Alternatively, the change could be caused by a switch in choice cues used by females if factors other than male size become more important for female reproductive success later in the breeding season. Further studies are needed to test between these alternative explanations. (c) 2006 The Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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8. |
- Dahlman, Ingrid, et al.
(author)
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A unique role of monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 among chemokines in adipose tissue of obese subjects
- 2005
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In: Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism. - : Endocrine Society. - 0021-972X .- 1945-7197. ; 90:10, s. 5834-5840
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Context: Low-grade inflammation in adipose tissue may contribute to insulin resistance in obesity. However, the roles of individual inflammatory mediators in adipose tissue are poorly understood. Objectives: The objective of this study was to determine which inflammation markers are most overexpressed at the gene level in adipose tissue in human obesity and how this relates to corresponding protein secretion. Design: We examined gene expression profiles in 17 lean and 20 obese subjects. The secretory pattern of relevant corresponding proteins was examined in human sc adipose tissue or isolated fat cells in vitro and in vivo in several obese or lean cohorts. Results: In ranking gene expression, defined pathways associated with obesity and immune and defense responses scored high. Among seven markedly overexpressed chemokines, only monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 (MCP1) was released from adipose tissue and isolated fat cells in vitro. In obesity, the secretion and expression of MCP1 in adipose tissue pieces were more than 6- and 2-fold increased, respectively, but there was no change in circulating MCP1 levels. There was no net release of MCP1, but there was a net release of leptin, in vivo from adipose tissue into the circulation. Conclusions: Obesity is associated with the increased expression of several chemokine genes in adipose tissue. However, only MCP1 is secreted into the extracellular space, where it primarily acts as a local factor, because little or no spillover into the circulation occurs. MCP1 influences the function of adipocytes, is a recruitment factor for macrophages, and may be a crucial link among chemokines between adipose tissue inflammation and insulin resistance.
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9. |
- Forsgren, Elisabet, et al.
(author)
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Behavioural ecology of reproduction
- 2002
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In: Handbook of Fish Biology and Fisheries. - Malden : Blackwell Science. - 0632054123 ; , s. 225-250
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Book chapter (other academic/artistic)
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10. |
- Forsgren, Elisabet, et al.
(author)
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Elevated CO2 affects embryonic development and larval phototaxis in a temperate marine fish
- 2013
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In: Ecology and Evolution. - : Wiley. - 2045-7758. ; 3:11, s. 3637-3646
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- As an effect of anthropogenic CO2 emissions, the chemistry of the world's oceans is changing. Understanding how this will affect marine organisms and ecosystems are critical in predicting the impacts of this ongoing ocean acidification. Work on coral reef fishes has revealed dramatic effects of elevated oceanic CO2 on sensory responses and behavior. Such effects may be widespread but have almost exclusively been tested on tropical reef fishes. Here we test the effects elevated CO2 has on the reproduction and early life history stages of a temperate coastal goby with paternal care by allowing goby pairs to reproduce naturally in an aquarium with either elevated (ca 1400atm) CO2 or control seawater (ca 370atm CO2). Elevated CO2 did not affect the occurrence of spawning nor clutch size, but increased embryonic abnormalities and egg loss. Moreover, we found that elevated CO2 significantly affected the phototactic response of newly hatched larvae. Phototaxis is a vision-related fundamental behavior of many marine fishes, but has never before been tested in the context of ocean acidification. Our findings suggest that ocean acidification affects embryonic development and sensory responses in temperate fishes, with potentially important implications for fish recruitment.
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