The Adaptive Significance of Interspecific Territoriality in the Reef Fish Eupomacentrus Leucostictus

Ebersole, John P.

doi:10.2307/1936228

Cited by 122 publications

(103 citation statements)

References 11 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…and A.F.H.R., unpublished observations). This pattern differs from related gardening species that are more selective in their aggressive responses, attacking mainly herbivorous fishes (Di Paola et al, 2012;Ebersole, 1977;Myrberg and Thresher, 1974). Still, in relative terms they were most aggressive to herbivores, which are the main competitors for the algal turf they are defending.…”

Section: Mechanisms For Interspecific Territorial Behaviormentioning

confidence: 58%

Intra- and interspecific challenges modulate cortisol but not androgen levels in a year-round territorial damselfish

Ros

Vullioud

Bruintjes

et al. 2014

Journal of Experimental Biology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Interactions between individuals of different species are commonplace in animal communities. Some behaviors displayed during these interspecific social interactions may be very similar to those displayed during intraspecific social interactions. However, whether functional analogies between intra-and interspecific behaviors translate at the proximate level into an overlap in their underlying endocrine mechanisms remains largely unknown. Because steroids both mediate social behaviors and respond to them, we approached this question by comparing the behavioral and steroid response of free-living dusky gregories (Stegastes nigricans) to standardized territorial intrusions (sTI) of either conspecific or heterospecific food competitors. Stegastes nigricans is a year-round territorial fish that 'cultivates' the algae on which it feeds and is highly aggressive to both intra-and interspecific intruders. Behavioral differences between intra-and interspecific aggressive responses to sTI were marginal, and sTI tests caused an increase in cortisol levels that was positively related with the levels of aggression. In contrast, androgen levels did not increase in response to sTI, yet they showed a positive relationship with agonistic behavior. These results parallel a pattern that was first described for year-round territorial bird species. Furthermore, they suggest that changes in endocrinehormone levels during territoriality might be independent of the species that induces the territorial response. KEY WORDS: Teleost, Testosterone, 11-ketotestosterone, Cortisol, Territorial aggression, Interspecific behavior INTRODUCTIONAnimals live in competitive social environments in which each behavioral response may have important fitness costs or benefits. To manipulate their social environment, individuals frequently use competitive agonistic behaviors including overt aggression (Wingfield et al., 2006;Székely et al., 2010). These aggressive behaviors can be classified based on the type of tactic the individual is using (e.g. reactive versus proactive situations) and on the context (e.g. spatial, sexual, parental, antipredator) in which they are expressed (Koolhaas et al., 1999;Wingfield et al., 2006). The context of aggression has been postulated to have important influences on the evolution of the underlying hormone-behavior relationships as in the commonly found associations between gonadal hormones such as testosterone and estradiol and aggressive behaviors during sexual competition, and between stress hormones such as cortisol and defensive aggression in response to threats (Wingfield et al., 2006). These relationships can act both ways in that social challenges modulate the release of sex or stress steroid hormones, while the release of these hormones in turn facilitates different behavioral responses [i.e. the reciprocal model or challenge hypothesis (see Wingfield et al., 1990;Hirschenhauser and Oliveira, 2006;Oliveira and Gonçalves, 2008)]. Although these relationships may be species-specific and dependent on age and...

show abstract

Section: Mechanisms For Interspecific Territorial Behaviormentioning

confidence: 58%

Intra- and interspecific challenges modulate cortisol but not androgen levels in a year-round territorial damselfish

Ros

Vullioud

Bruintjes

et al. 2014

Journal of Experimental Biology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…2), permanently occupying shadowed coral overhangs in regions subject to surge; P. lacrymatus (Quoy & Gaimard), that dwell on vertical rocks or rocky flatlands; Parma microlepis (Günther), P. unifaciatus (Günther), and Pomacentrus flavicauda (Whitley) that are also always encountered spread out in very characteristic habitats. According to Kohda (1988) and Ebersale (1977), Pomacentrus altus and P. leucosticus, respectively, also permanently occupy individual territories around rocks on rubble areas, although in different topographies. The same type of maintenance of space was observed in P. dorsopunicans (Itzkowitz, 1974).…”

Section: -Solitarymentioning

confidence: 99%

Behaviour, socio‐ecology and sexuality in damselfishes (Pomacentridae)

Fishelson¹

1998

Italian Journal of Zoology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Site attachment, social organization and reproduction traits of the damselfish (Pomacentridae), based on field observations and cytology of gonads, are described. This fish family includes both solitary and gregarious species, as well as species of an intermediate nature. Many of the species are monodomous, using a specific, permanent habitat, whereas others are polydomous, occurring in different habitats or changing their habitat with age. Some of the species are monomorphic, developing their permanent colour when very young, whereas others are polymorphic, demonstrating different colour morphs as juveniles, particularly blue and yellow patterns. The damselfishes include gonochorists, with predetermination of sex, protogynous and protandrous hermaphrodites, and bisexual types in which the gonadal primordium bears both types of gonia. With few exceptions, the polydomous species are primarily gonochorists, and the monodomous ones are hermaphrodites, in which sex determination is socially controlled depending on the type and composition of the surrounding group of conspecifics.

show abstract

“…This is particularly evident in some species of damselfish that are called 'gardeners' as they grow and harvest algae as a food source (Ceccarelli, 2007;Karino and Nakazono, 1993), and defend these in a permanent territory against a broad array of potential competitors throughout the year (Di Paola et al, 2012;Ebersole, 1977;Hata and Kato, 2002Hata et al, 2010). Our study species, the dusky gregory, Stegastes nigricans, forms colonies where each individual solitary defends its algal crop (Karino and Kuwamura, 1997).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Intra- and interspecific aggression do not modulate androgen levels in dusky gregories, yet male aggression is reduced by an androgen blocker

Vullioud

Bshary

Ros

2013

Hormones and Behavior

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Discussions about social behavior are generally limited to fitness effects of interactions occurring between conspecifics. However, many fitness relevant interactions take place between individuals belonging to different species. Our detailed knowledge about the role of hormones in intraspecific interactions provides a starting point to investigate how far interspecific interactions are governed by the same physiological mechanisms. Here, we carried out standardized resident-intruder (sRI) tests in the laboratory to investigate the relationship between androgens and both intra-and interspecific aggression in a year-round territorial coral reef fish, the dusky gregory, Stegastes nigricans. This damselfish species fiercely defend cultivated algal crops, used as a food source, against a broad array of species, mainly food competitors, and thus represent an ideal model system for comparisons of intra-and interspecific territorial aggression. In a first experiment, resident S. nigricans showed elevated territorial aggression against intra-and interspecific intruders, yet neither elicited a significant increase in androgen levels. However, in a second experiment where we treated residents with flutamide, an androgen receptor blocker, males but not females showed decreased aggression, both towards intra-and interspecific intruders. Thus androgens appear to affect aggression in a broader territorial context where species identity of the intruder appears to play no role. This supports the idea that the same hormonal mechanism may be relevant in intra-and interspecific interactions. We further propose that in such a case, where physiological mechanisms of behavioral responses are found to be context dependent, interspecific territorial aggression should be considered a social behavior.

show abstract

The Adaptive Significance of Interspecific Territoriality in the Reef Fish Eupomacentrus Leucostictus

Cited by 122 publications

References 11 publications

Intra- and interspecific challenges modulate cortisol but not androgen levels in a year-round territorial damselfish

Intra- and interspecific challenges modulate cortisol but not androgen levels in a year-round territorial damselfish

Behaviour, socio‐ecology and sexuality in damselfishes (Pomacentridae)

Intra- and interspecific aggression do not modulate androgen levels in dusky gregories, yet male aggression is reduced by an androgen blocker

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About