Prolactin Diminishes Courtship Behaviour and Stimulates Fanning in Nesting Male Three-Spined Sticklebacks, Gasterosteus Aculeatus

Páll, Miklós K.; Liljander, Maria; Borg, Bertil

doi:10.1163/1568539042948088

Cited by 36 publications

(19 citation statements)

References 9 publications

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“…For example, prolactin (PRL) has been implicated in the control of parental care in vertebrates, including fishes (Slijkhuis et al, 1984). A functional role for PRL in the control of fanning behaviour in sticklebacks was confirmed by Pall et al (2004), who demonstrated that PRL administration increased fanning behaviour in nesting males. Bell (2001) determined that gonadal steroids have contrasting effects on conspecific-oriented and nest-oriented behaviours during stickleback courtship.…”

Section: Reproductive Behaviourmentioning

confidence: 99%

Chronic perchlorate exposure impairs stickleback reproductive behaviour and swimming performance

Bernhardt

Hippel

2008

Behav

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SummaryWe describe behavioural changes in two generations of threespine stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus) exposed to environmentally relevant concentrations of perchlorate. The first generation (G 0,2002 ) was exposed as two-year-old adults to perchlorate in experimental groups ranging in concentration from less than the method detection limit (<1.1 ppb) to 18.6 ppm for up to 22 days during their courtship, spawning, egg guarding, and first five days of fry guarding. No differences were noted in the behaviour or reproductive output of these fish that were exposed as adults. However, perchlorate exposure throughout development caused widespread effects in the second generation (G 1,2003 ), which was spawned and raised through sexual maturity in one of four nominal experimental groups (0, 30 and 100 ppm, and a 'variable' treatment that progressively increased from <1.1 ppb to approximately 60 ppm perchlorate). Dose-dependent effects were found during the G 1,2003 's swimming and behavioural evaluations, including higher mortality rates among treated fish following stressful events. Perchlorate-exposed fish had higher failure rates during swimming trials and failed at lower flow rates than control fish. A number of treated fish exhibited seizures. Progressively fewer males completed benchmark metrics, such as nest building, spawning, nursery formation, or fry production, in a dose-dependent manner. Fewer males from higher treatments courted females, and those that did initiated courtship later and had a reduced behavioural repertoire compared to fish from lower treatments. The lowest observed adverse effect level (LOAEL) for swimming performance, reproductive behaviour, survivorship and recruitment was 30 ppm perchlorate (our lowest G 1,2003 treatment), and near complete inhibition of reproductive activity was noted among males raised in 100 ppm perchlorate. A small number of treated G 1,2003 females were isolated in aquaria, and some performed reproductive behaviour typical of males, such as biting, leading and zig-zagging in the presence of gravid females. These findings have profound implications for recruitment in wild fish populations exposed to perchlorate, and suggest that perchlorate may disrupt behaviour in other vertebrates as well.

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Section: Reproductive Behaviourmentioning

confidence: 99%

Chronic perchlorate exposure impairs stickleback reproductive behaviour and swimming performance

Bernhardt

Hippel

2008

Behav

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“…In particular, PRL was found to be of major importance for the regulation of brood care (Blüm and Fiedler, '65;Slijkhuis et al, '84;Tacon et al, 2000;Páll et al, 2004). In species that do not show natural brood care behavior, the application of PRL alone does not elicit such behavior (Blüm,'74), but in species showing brood care it could be elicited or intensified by PRL.…”

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confidence: 99%

The role of prolactin in the regulation of brood care in the cooperatively breeding fish Neolamprologus pulcher

Bender¹,

Taborsky²,

Power³

2008

J. Exp. Zool.

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The hormone prolactin (PRL) is important for the regulation of parental care in many species of mammals, birds and fish, and for alloparental care (care directed at nondescendant young) in some mammals and birds. Its significance in alloparental brood care of cooperatively breeding fish has not yet been assessed. Here, we test the role of PRL in brood care behavior of the cooperatively breeding cichlid Neolamprologus pulcher. The expression of PRL mRNA was determined in the pituitary glands of breeders of both sexes, helpers that showed brood care behavior and nonbreeding fish as controls. In addition, PRL levels were experimentally manipulated in male breeders and helpers by intraperitoneal injections of ovine PRL, and the behavior of these test fish was recorded toward standardized clutches. Adult females had higher levels of PRL mRNA than adult males, which was true both for breeders and nonbreeders. Contrary to expectation, there was no positive correlation between PRL and brood care behavior in any category of test fish, and the experimental application of PRL did not change brood care propensity. Interestingly, brood-caring adult females had significantly lower levels of PRL mRNA than adult female nonbreeders, whereas there was no difference between helpers and similar-sized nonbreeding group members. PRL mRNA levels increased with body mass in juveniles, but decreased with body mass in adults. In conclusion, we found no evidence that elevated levels of PRL are directly involved in the regulation of brood care behavior in this species.

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“…Nest fanning behaviour provides a flow of oxygenated water to ventilate developing eggs in the nest, and parental fanning activity has been shown to be under PRL control in several species [80]. An early experiment showed increased fanning behaviour in male and female angelfish (Pterophyllum scalare) and brown discus (Symphysodon haraldi) following PRL injection, even in the absence of eggs [11,12].…”

Section: Fanningmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This increased activity was found to be dose-dependent, and higher doses of PRL inhibited fanning behaviour. PRL also induces fanning in other species of fish, including wrasse males (Symphodus ocellatus) [reviewed in 12] and stickleback males [80]. Experimental treatment of convict cichlid (Amatitlania nigrofasciata) females and male bluegills (Lepomis macrochirus) with PRL inhibitors results in decreased fanning behaviour [reviewed in 43,55].…”

Section: Fanningmentioning

confidence: 99%

The role of prolactin in fish reproduction

Whittington¹,

Wilson²

2013

General and Comparative Endocrinology

103

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Abstract:Prolactin (PRL) has one of the broadest ranges of functions of any vertebrate hormone, and plays a critical role in regulating aspects of reproduction in widely divergent lineages. However, while PRL structure, mode of action and functions have been well-characterised in mammals, studies of other vertebrate lineages remain incomplete. As the most diverse group of vertebrates, fish offer a particularly valuable model system for the study of the evolution of reproductive endocrine function. Here, we review the current state of knowledge on the role of prolactin in fish reproduction, which extends to migration, reproductive development and cycling, brood care behaviour, pregnancy, and nutrient provisioning to young. We also highlight significant gaps in knowledge and advocate a specific bidirectional research methodology including both observational and manipulative experiments. Focusing research efforts towards the thorough characterisation of a restricted number of reproductively diverse fish models will help to provide the foundation necessary for a more explicitly evolutionary analysis of PRL function.

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Prolactin Diminishes Courtship Behaviour and Stimulates Fanning in Nesting Male Three-Spined Sticklebacks, Gasterosteus Aculeatus

Cited by 36 publications

References 9 publications

Chronic perchlorate exposure impairs stickleback reproductive behaviour and swimming performance

Chronic perchlorate exposure impairs stickleback reproductive behaviour and swimming performance

The role of prolactin in the regulation of brood care in the cooperatively breeding fish Neolamprologus pulcher

The role of prolactin in fish reproduction

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