A test of the ‘challenge hypothesis’ in cichlid fish: simulated partner and territory intruder experiments

Hirschenhauser, Katharina; Taborsky, Michael; Oliveira, Tânia Sofia Ferreira de; Canário, Adelino V.M.; Oliveira, Rui Filipe

doi:10.1016/j.anbehav.2003.12.015

Cited by 144 publications

(114 citation statements)

References 48 publications

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“…Steroids were finally quantified by previously characterised radioimmunoassay: testosterone (T) (Scott et al, 1984); 11-ketotestosterone (11-KT) (Kime and Manning, 1982) and cortisol (F) (ANTI-Cortisol, Research Diagnostics Inc.). The results of the different fractions were summed (Hirschenhauser et al, 2004).…”

Section: Hormone Assaysmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Therefore, hormones released into the water have been scaled to body mass in previous studies, dividing the excreted levels by body mass (Oliveira et al, 2003;Hirschenhauser et al, 2004). Although the method to measure hormone excretion levels in holding water has been validated by hormone injections (see Methods), it is as yet unclear whether standard allometrical scaling of the hormone levels as measured in the water is adequate to compare conspecific and heterospecific fishes of different sizes, and the possible allometric function is unknown.…”

Section: Allometric Scaling Of Hormone Secretionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Mating and brood care patterns in particular are important social factors influencing hormone levels in fish (Oliveira et al, 2001a(Oliveira et al, , 2001cOliveira, 2004;Hirschenhauser et al, 2004;Ros et al, 2004). A special form of social organisation is the cooperative breeding groups with helpers at the nest, where socially subordinate members of the group (so-called "helpers") assist breeders in caring for offspring (Taborsky and Limberger,in mammal and bird societies generally have lower androgen levels than dominants, except when subdominants participate in reproduction.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The relationship between social status, behaviour, growth and steroids in male helpers and breeders of a cooperatively breeding cichlid

Bender

Heg

Hamilton

et al. 2006

Hormones and Behavior

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We tested whether subordinate helper males of the Lake Tanganyika cooperatively breeding cichlid Neolamprologus pulcher show elevated excretion levels of the stress hormone cortisol and reduced levels of 11-ketotestosterone and testosterone when living in groups with a small breeder male, compared to similar helper males living in groups with a large breeder male, in a full-factorial repeated measures experimental design. We also measured the same hormones in breeder males with and without helper males. Previous research showed that the size difference between large male helpers and male breeders in groups of this species influences behaviour and growth decisions. Contrary to our expectation, no effect of the size-difference between helper males and breeder males on helper hormone levels was detected. Furthermore, helper males had similar hormone excretion levels to those of size-matched breeder males without helpers, and to small breeder males. There was no influence of egg laying on breeder male and helper hormone levels during the experiment. Interestingly, all three hormone levels were significantly lower in helpers showing elevated levels of submissive behaviour towards the breeders, independently of the size of the breeder males. The low cortisol levels suggest that helper males can successfully reduce stress by appeasing breeder males through submission. Furthermore, helper males showing a high level of submissive behaviour had lower levels of androgens than less submissive helpers, suggesting a lower reproductive potential in submissive helpers. We propose that helper submission may be used as an honest signal of reduced interest in reproduction towards the breeder male in this species.

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Section: Hormone Assaysmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Allometric Scaling Of Hormone Secretionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The relationship between social status, behaviour, growth and steroids in male helpers and breeders of a cooperatively breeding cichlid

Bender

Heg

Hamilton

et al. 2006

Hormones and Behavior

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“…cooperative breeding in Neolamprologus pulcher, Desjardins et al, 2007;Fitzpatrick, 2005;Taves et al, 2009;Wong and Balshine, 2011) that allows for comparative studies (e.g. phylogenetic test of the challenge hypothesis in African cichlids with divergent mating systems, Hirschenhauser et al, 2004). In our lab we have been using the Mozambique tilapia (Oreochromis mossambicus) as a model to study the neuroendocrinology of social behavior.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Castration affects reproductive but not aggressive behavior in a cichlid fish

Almeida

Canário

Oliveira

2014

General and Comparative Endocrinology

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a b s t r a c tGonads are the main source of sex steroids, which have been implicated in the regulation of sexually differentiated behavior, such as reproductive and aggressive displays. In the Mozambique tilapia (Oreochromis mossambicus) territorial males have higher androgen levels than non-territorials, express reproductive behavior and use a urine-borne pheromone to signal their social status towards conspecifics. Here we investigated the effects of gonadectomy on the circulating levels of androgens and cortisol, and on the expression of aggressive and reproductive behavior (nest building, courtship behavior, and nuptial coloration). Males were either castrated, urine bladder damaged, or sham-operated and visually exposed to a group of females during 8 consecutive days and subsequently to a male on day 9. The urine bladder damaged treatment was included in the experimental design because a full castration procedure in this species causes quite often damage to the urine bladder. Gonadectomy lowers dramatically the circulating levels of androgens measured at 4 and 8 days post-castration and abolishes the expression of nest building, courtship behavior and nuptial coloration, but has no effect on the expression of aggressive behavior. These results confirm the gonads as the main source of androgens in this species and show that androgens are necessary for the expression of reproductive behaviors. However, the expression of aggressive behavior seems to be decoupled from gonadal steroids, namely androgens, suggesting the action of independent central mechanisms.

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“…Androgens in general and 11KT in particular are also known to respond to the social challenges, with higher reproductive baseline levels found in polygynous species, where males are exposed to a higher rate of male-male competition, than in monogamous species (Hirschenhauser and Oliveira, 2006;Hirschenhauser et al, 2004;Oliveira et al, 2002). Acquisition of territorial status activates the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis leading to an increase in circulating androgen levels that in turn promotes the expression of status-dependent traits such as SSCs (Cardwell and Liley, 1991;Oliveira et al, 1996;White et al, 2002).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Environmental modulation of androgen levels and secondary sex characters in two populations of the peacock blenny Salaria pavo

Saraiva

Gonçalves

Oliveira

2010

Hormones and Behavior

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Morphology and endocrinology were studied in two populations of the peacock blenny Salaria pavo, with different regimes of sexual selection imposed by differences in nest site availability. The peacock blenny is a small, sexually dimorphic benthic fish that presents exclusive paternal care of the clutch and inhabits rocky shores of the Mediterranean and adjacent Atlantic areas. In a population from the Gulf of Trieste (Northern Adriatic sea) inhabiting rocky shores where nest sites are abundant, male-male competition for nests is low, males court females and a low frequency of alternative reproductive tactics (small, parasitic femalemimicking sneaker males that change tactic into nest holders in subsequent breeding seasons) occurs. Conversely at Ria Formosa, a coastal lagoon in Southern Portugal, where nest sites are scarce and highly aggregated, male-male competition for nests is very high, there is sex-role reversal with female courtship and a high frequency of alternative reproductive tactics is observed. Concomitantly, at Ria Formosa nest holder males are larger and present more developed secondary sex characters and higher levels of 11KT than at the Gulf of Trieste. However, the gonads of nest holders and parasitic males were larger in the Gulf of Trieste population. Competition for nests at Ria Formosa seems to promote more developed secondary sex characters in nest site scarcity conditions, while competition for females at the Gulf of Trieste seems to be spurring sperm competition among males in populations where nest sites are more abundant. 11KT was thus associated with the development and expression of secondary sex characters in contrasting environments. These results exemplify how the modulation of behavioral plasticity and secondary sex characters by the social environment can be mediated by androgens.

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A test of the ‘challenge hypothesis’ in cichlid fish: simulated partner and territory intruder experiments

Cited by 144 publications

References 48 publications

The relationship between social status, behaviour, growth and steroids in male helpers and breeders of a cooperatively breeding cichlid

The relationship between social status, behaviour, growth and steroids in male helpers and breeders of a cooperatively breeding cichlid

Castration affects reproductive but not aggressive behavior in a cichlid fish

Environmental modulation of androgen levels and secondary sex characters in two populations of the peacock blenny Salaria pavo

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