The metabolic cost of carrying a sexually selected trait in the male fiddler crab<i>Uca pugilator</i>

Tullis, Alexa; Straube, Corinne H. T.

doi:10.1242/jeb.163816

Cited by 16 publications

(24 citation statements)

References 80 publications

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“…Not all results are as expected. In fiddler crabs for example, males that had their major claw removed did not consume less oxygen during rest or during sustainable locomotion; yet an increase in lactic acid was found in crabs with claws during strenuous exercise which may suggest metabolic costs can continue to accrue during rest after strenuous exercise [31,62].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The hidden cost of sexually selected traits: the metabolic expense of maintaining a sexually selected weapon

et al. 2018

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Sexually selected weapons are among the most exaggerated traits in nature. Sexual selection theory frequently assumes a high cost of this exaggeration; yet, those costs are rarely measured. We know very little about the energetic resources required to maintain these traits at rest and the difference in energetic costs for the largest individuals relative to the smallest individuals. Knowledge in this area is crucial; resting metabolic rate can account for 30–40% of daily energy expenditure in wild animals. Here, we capitalized on the phenomenon of autotomy to take a unique look at weapon maintenance costs. Using Leptoscelis tricolor (Hemiptera: Coreidae), we measured CO 2 production rates before and after a weapon was shed. Males in this insect species use enlarged hind femora as weapons in male–male combat, and yet can shed them readily, without regeneration, upon entrapment. We found that metabolic rate decreased by an average of 23.5% in males after leg loss and by 7.9% in females. Notably, larger males had less of a drop in metabolic rate per gram of weapon lost. Our findings suggest that sexually selected weapons contribute to a large portion of resting metabolic rate in males, but these costs do not scale in direct proportion to size; larger males can have larger weapons for a reduced metabolic cost. These energetic maintenance costs may be integral to the evolution of the allometries of sexually selected weapons, and yet they remain largely unexplored.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The hidden cost of sexually selected traits: the metabolic expense of maintaining a sexually selected weapon

et al. 2018

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“…Fiddler crabs have claws that have a similar body/claw weight ratio than aeglids (~25% of body weight, Crane, 2015). As stated previously, fiddler crabs possess several compensations for the weight of their claw (e.g., Bywater et al, 2018;Gerald & Thiesen, 2014;Tullis & Straube, 2017). However, male aeglids did not show any adaptation in their legs or muscles and maintained similar walking performance across different body sizes, and under more demanding activity (i.e., walking against water current; Figures 3-5).…”

Section: The Environment As a Mechanism To Decrease The Costs Of Bementioning

confidence: 86%

“…Male fiddler crabs are known to have an exaggerated claw that imposes restrictions on their locomotion and morphology. For instance, male fiddler crabs maintain locomotor performances in horizontal surfaces, but even slight inclines decrease male locomotor performance (Gerald & Thiesen, 2014;Tullis & Straube, 2017). Male fiddler crabs also have asymmetric legs to compensate for the asymmetric weight of the claw, with leg asymmetry increasing as claw exaggeration increases (Bywater, Wilson, Monro, & White, 2018).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Underwater compensation for exaggerated weaponry: The role of morphology and environment on crab locomotor performance

2019

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Exaggerated morphologies may increase fitness, but they might be costly to bear; heavy weight, for instance, might hinder locomotion. Evidence supporting these costs are sparse because animals that move on land or swim have traits reducing those costs, called compensatory traits. Animals that walk underwater, however, are under different environmental pressures than land animals. Buoyancy, for instance, reduces the effective weight of any object, which could decrease the locomotion costs of carrying exagerrated traits. Hence, underwater species might maintain performance without compensation. To test this, we compared males of the freshwater anomuran Aegla longirostri that bear an exaggerated claw to females (the natural control). We first tested whether the exaggerated claw decreased male locomotor performance. Next, we tested if sexual dimorphism in performance is associated with differences in leg asymmetry, length, and muscle size. Lastly, we tested if large males have proportionally heavier legs than smaller males. Unexpectedly, females are faster than males while also having relatively longer legs than males. Therefore, females might walk faster because of the longer legs, which might be unrelated to the male exaggerated claw. Furthermore, larger males did not have proportionally heavier legs than smaller males, further suggesting no compensation. Hence, even though aeglid's claw weigh ~25% of their total body weight, we did not find evidence for burden or compensation on males. The environment might thus decrease the costs of exaggerated traits.

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“…One way to examine energetic costs of secondary sexual ornament is to estimate the energy expenditure by measuring oxygen consumption. Higher metabolic rate of individuals bearing a sexually selected structure is a relevant measure of physiological cost, since variation in metabolic rate impacts all other body functions (Tullis & Straube, 2017; O'Brien et al ., 2019). Large secondary sexual ornament was found to be associated with increased energy costs in invertebrates.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Metabolic cost of holding nuptial food gifts for male spiders

Prokop

Okrouhlík

2021

Ecological Entomology

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1. In various insect and spiders, males offer nuptial food gifts to females during copulation that enhance male fitness either directly through their effects on male fertilisation success or indirectly through the nutritional benefits delivering for females. However, the physiological costs of producing these gifts remain largely unexplored. 2. We examined energetic costs of holding nuptial gifts in the gift‐giving spider, Pisaura mirabilis, using stop‐flow respirometry. 3. Males exhibited 37% higher metabolic rates when holding a nuptial gift than when they do not have one. 4. Our findings suggest the existence of metabolic costs associated with holding a nuptial gift for males. This confirm that male condition is particularly relevant for gift‐giving and may explain the evolution of male deception for cheaper nuptial gifts.

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The metabolic cost of carrying a sexually selected trait in the male fiddler crabUca pugilator

Cited by 16 publications

References 80 publications

The hidden cost of sexually selected traits: the metabolic expense of maintaining a sexually selected weapon

The hidden cost of sexually selected traits: the metabolic expense of maintaining a sexually selected weapon

Underwater compensation for exaggerated weaponry: The role of morphology and environment on crab locomotor performance

Metabolic cost of holding nuptial food gifts for male spiders

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