Hormones and Aggressive Behavior in Teleost Fishes

Villars, Trudy

doi:10.1007/978-1-4613-3521-4_16

Cited by 22 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 104 publications

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“…There was a non-significant trend for KT-treated sneakers to be less aggressive in the mirror test, suggesting that mirror-elicited aggression in S. pavo sneakers is not KT dependent. This result contrasts with the established role of androgens in the control of agonistic behavior in teleost fishes [Villars, 1983]. However, different agonistic motivational systems can be recognized which do not have necessarily to share the same proximate mechanisms [Brain, 1981], and most cases of established effects of androgens on agonistic behavior refer to the defense of breeding territories or to dominance in malemale competition for access to mates [Liley and Stacey, 1983;Borg, 1994].…”

Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 50%

11-Ketotestosterone Inhibits the Alternative Mating Tactic in Sneaker Males of the Peacock Blenny, <i>Salaria pavo</i>

et al. 2001

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In the peacock blenny, Salaria pavo, a species with courtship sex-role reversal, smaller, younger males mimic the courtship behavior and the nuptial coloration of females in order to get access to nests during spawning and to parasitize egg fertilization from nest-holder males. Later in their life, sneakers transform both morphologically and behaviorally into nest-holder males. In the present paper we investigate the activational role of 11-ketotestosterone (KT), the most potent androgen in most teleost species, to promote the switch between tactics in sneaker males of S. pavo. Sneakers were implanted either with KT or with control (i.e. castor oil) silastic implants. A week after implantation they were subjected to a set of behavioral tests and morphometric measurements. KT treatment promoted the differentiation of secondary sex characters, such as the anal glands, and inhibited the expression of female courtship behavior. KT-treated sneakers also showed a trend toward less frequent display of female nuptial coloration. There was no effect of KT treatment on the expression of typical nest-holder male behavior. Finally, there was no effect of KT treatment on the number or soma size of arginine vasotocin neurons in the preoptic area, which are often associated with the expression of vertebrate sexual behavior. Thus, KT seems to play a key role in mating tactic switching by inhibiting the expression of female courtship behavior and by promoting the development of male displaying traits (e.g. anal glands). The lack of a KT effect on behavior typical of nest-holding males and vasotocinergic preoptic neurons suggests that a longer time frame or other endocrine/social signals are needed for the initiation of these traits in males that are switching tactics.

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Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 50%

11-Ketotestosterone Inhibits the Alternative Mating Tactic in Sneaker Males of the Peacock Blenny, <i>Salaria pavo</i>

et al. 2001

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“…Androgens stimulate aggressive behavior in teleost fishes (see Villars, 1983), while the levels of serum T and 11KT are correlated with spawning behavior as well as social dominance hierarchy (Kindler et al, 1989;Cardwell and Liley, 1991;Brantly et al, 1993;Pankhurst and Barnett, 1993). It is therefore possible that circulating T has functions in the central nervous system to motivate salmon homing behavior.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone Analog and Sex Steroids Shorten Homing Duration of Sockeye Salmon in Lake Shikotsu

et al. 1998

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ABSTRACT-Gonadotropin-releasing hormone analog (GnRHa), testosterone (T) or 17α, 20β-dihydroxy-4-pregnen-3-one (DHP) was implanted in lacustrine sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) to examine their effects on homing behavior prior to spawning. Maturing adult fish in Lake Shikotsu were captured by a set net adjacent to their natal hatchery in September and October, 1997. They were tagged, implanted with hormones and released at the center of lake. More than 70% of released fish returned to the hatchery. In September, GnRHa-implanted fish returned significantly earlier than the controls regardless of sexes. DHP also shortened homing duration in the females but not in the males. T tended to reduce homing duration in the males, however it did not have any significant effect in the females. In October, fish in all groups quickly returned within a few days after the release. Hence, the shortening effect of GnRHa on homing duration was not seen. The October fish may be already well primed by endogenous hormones. The present study showed that, in September, GnRHa consistently shortened homing duration, whereas sex steroid actions varied depending on sex in lacustrine sockeye salmon.

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“…Testosterone has been found to increase aggressive behaviour in a wide range of vertebrate species (Archer, 1988), although there are some in which it does not. In bony fish, the influence may be restricted to certain taxonomic groups, such as cichlids (Munro & Pitcher, 1985 ;Villars, 1983). For amphibians and reptiles, there is little conclusive evidence (Greenberg & Crews, 1983).…”

Section: Androgens and Aggression In Animalsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The influence of testosterone on human aggression

Archer

1991

British J of Psychology

480

209

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Animal studies show clear evidence for a causal link between testosterone and aggression. This review assesses studies involving androgens, principally testosterone, and human aggression. Evidence for a possible effect of prenatal androgens is inconclusive. In adults, higher testosterone levels are found in groups selected for high levels of aggressiveness. Correlations between testosterone and aggression were low when hostility inventories were used, but higher (r = .38) when aggressiveness was rated by others. Regression analysis data and studies of boys at puberty were inconclusive. Other studies show that the outcome of aggressive and competitive encounters can alter testosterone levels, thus confounding interpretation of the correlational evidence. The design of future studies to reveal evidence of a causal link is considered. Suggestions concerning two important methodological problems, the experimental manipulation of hormone levels and the nature of the dependent variable, are made.Studies of a wide variety of vertebrate species have indicated that androgens, principally testosterone, facilitate aggressiveness between males, thus providing a mechanism for the increase in male competitive aggression at a time when the animals are reproductively active (Archer, 1988). This ethological evidence raises the question of whether testosterone also facilitates aggression in human males. Some reviews of the human evidence have concluded that it does (Donovan, 1985; Rubin, Reinisch.8~ Haskett, 1981) whereas others have urged caution in drawing this conclusion (Benton, 1983;Carlson, 1986;Rada, Kellner & Winslow, 1976).The purpose of the present paper is to provide a systematic review of current evidence on this issue, to include a limited meta-analysis where possible, and to highlight methodological issues raised by existing studies. The review begins with a brief survey of animal studies to provide a background for the human evidence. The possible involvement of neonatal androgens is then considered briefly, before examining the following types of evidence from adults : comparisons of testosterone levels in selected groups which show high and low levels of aggressiveness; correlations in both selected samples and unselected samples ; and regression analyses. Studies carried out on boys at puberty -when testosterone levels rise dramatically -are then considered. The limitations of correlational evidence are discussed, particularly in relation to the influence of the social environment on testosterone levels. Existing attempts to provide causal analyses are described, before considering how best to design future studies to reveal more clearly whether testosterone facilitates human aggression.

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Hormones and Aggressive Behavior in Teleost Fishes

Cited by 22 publications

References 104 publications

11-Ketotestosterone Inhibits the Alternative Mating Tactic in Sneaker Males of the Peacock Blenny, <i>Salaria pavo</i>

11-Ketotestosterone Inhibits the Alternative Mating Tactic in Sneaker Males of the Peacock Blenny, <i>Salaria pavo</i>

Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone Analog and Sex Steroids Shorten Homing Duration of Sockeye Salmon in Lake Shikotsu

The influence of testosterone on human aggression

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