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How individual and relative size affect participation in territorial defense and cortisol levels in a social fish.

Authors :
Ligocki IY
Earley RL
Hamilton IM
Source :
Journal of experimental zoology. Part A, Ecological and integrative physiology [J Exp Zool A Ecol Integr Physiol] 2019 Apr; Vol. 331 (4), pp. 217-226. Date of Electronic Publication: 2019 Jan 16.
Publication Year :
2019

Abstract

For many species, behaviors such as territory defense and parental care are energetically costly, but are nonetheless can provide substantial fitness gains. In systems in which both parents provide parental care, each of the parents benefits from exhibiting (or having their partner exhibit) these behaviors. However, in many cases, costs and benefits differ between parents due to factors such as size or sex. Different intruder types may also impose different costs on parents. Predatory intruders might consume offspring, whereas conspecifics might threaten the social status of a parent, or provide benefits as a potential group joiner or mate. Responses to these intrusions may also be associated with variation in individual stress responses. We investigated associations among male and female sizes, and the interaction between these, with defense against conspecific and heterospecific territorial intruders by members of successfully breeding pairs in the cichlid fish Neolamprologus pulcher. We also investigated whether cortisol levels were associated with size or participation in territory defense because each may be a cause or consequence of individual variation in the stress response. We found that females paired with large males performed fewer defensive behaviors than females paired with smaller males. Males paired with relatively large females had higher baseline cortisol levels than those paired with smaller females. Collectively, individual characteristics such as size have consequences for each individual's behavior, and also influence the behavior, and endocrine state of social partners.<br /> (© 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
2471-5646
Volume :
331
Issue :
4
Database :
MEDLINE
Journal :
Journal of experimental zoology. Part A, Ecological and integrative physiology
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
30650252
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.1002/jez.2255