The metabolic rates associated with resting, and with the performance of agonistic, submissive and digging behaviours in the cichlid fish Neolamprologus pulcher (Pisces: Cichlidae)

1998 ◽  
Vol 168 (6) ◽  
pp. 427-433 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Grantner ◽  
M. Taborsky
Keyword(s):  
Cichlid Fish ◽  
Metabolic Rates ◽  
Neolamprologus Pulcher

A dear enemy relationship in a territorial cichlid: evidence for the threat-level hypothesis

Behaviour ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 153 (4) ◽  
pp. 387-400 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shumpei Sogawa ◽  
Kazutaka Ota ◽  
Masanori Kohda
Keyword(s):  
Cichlid Fish ◽  
Experimental Tank ◽  
Territorial Defence ◽  
Neolamprologus Pulcher ◽  
Dear Enemy ◽  
Threat Level ◽  
Dear Enemy Phenomenon ◽  
Focal Fish ◽  
Boundary Paradigm ◽  
Aggression Level

Despite competing for resources such as space, food and mates, many territorial animals are less aggressive towards neighbours who rarely go beyond their territorial boundaries. This so-called dear enemy phenomenon is advantageous in territorial defence, but it has not been well studied in fish. In this work, we tested the ‘correct–incorrect boundary paradigm’ of the dear enemy phenomenon using the territorial cichlid fishNeolamprologus pulcher, which exhibits dear enemy relationships. When the fish was placed in a small experimental tank, in which fish established its territory, it was initially very aggressive against a neighbouring fish in an adjacent tank, but the aggression level decreased rapidly (within 4 days). When the tank containing the neighbour was shifted to the opposite side, the focal fish was more aggressive than the day before, but it exhibited less aggression than it did against a stranger placed on the shifted side. This lower level of aggression suggested that the focal fish did not regard the shifted neighbour as a stranger. Our observations provide support for the threat-level hypothesis, according to which territory owners will modulate aggression intensity based on the threat level.

scholarly journals Dominance network structure across reproductive contexts in the cooperatively breeding cichlid fish Neolamprologus pulcher

2015 ◽  
Vol 61 (1) ◽  
pp. 45-54 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cody J. Dey ◽  
Q.Y. Joanne Tan ◽  
Constance M. O’Connor ◽  
Adam R. Reddon ◽  
J. Ryan Caldwell
Keyword(s):  
Social Networks ◽  
Parental Care ◽  
Random Graph ◽  
Behavioral Ecology ◽  
Cichlid Fish ◽  
Life History Stage ◽  
Neolamprologus Pulcher ◽  
Exponential Random Graph ◽  
Dominance Interactions ◽  
Cooperatively Breeding

Abstract While a large number of studies have described animal social networks, we have a poor understanding of how these networks vary with ecological and social conditions. For example, reproductive periods are an important life-history stage that may involve changes in dominance relationships among individuals, yet no study to date has compared social networks of dominance interactions (i.e. dominance networks) across reproductive contexts. We first analyzed a long-term dataset on captive social groups of the cooperatively breeding cichlid Neolamprologus pulcher, and found that eviction events were significantly more common around reproduction than expected by chance. Next, we compared the structure of dominance networks during early parental care and non-reproductive periods, using one of the first applications of exponential random graph models in behavioral biology. Contrary to our predictions, we found that dominance networks showed few changes between early parental care and non-reproductive periods. We found no evidence that dominance interactions became more skewed towards larger individuals, became more frequent between similar-sized individuals, or became more biased towards a particular sex during parental care. However, we did find that there were relatively more dominance interactions between opposite-sex dyads in the early parental care period, which may be a by-product of increased sexual interactions during this time. This is the first study in behavioral ecology to compare social networks using exponential random graph modeling, and demonstrates a powerful analytical framework for future studies in the field.

scholarly journals Strategic reduction of help before dispersal in a cooperative breeder

2013 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 20120878 ◽  
Author(s):  
Markus Zöttl ◽  
Lucille Chapuis ◽  
Manuel Freiburghaus ◽  
Michael Taborsky
Keyword(s):  
Life History ◽  
Natural Population ◽  
Cichlid Fish ◽  
The Other ◽  
Neolamprologus Pulcher ◽  
State Dependent ◽  
Territory Defence ◽  
Cooperatively Breeding ◽  
Sexually Mature

In cooperative breeders, sexually mature subordinates can either queue for chances to inherit the breeding position in their natal group, or disperse to reproduce independently. The choice of one or the other option may be flexible, as when individuals respond to attractive dispersal options, or they may reflect fixed life-history trajectories. Here, we show in a permanently marked, natural population of the cooperatively breeding cichlid fish Neolamprologus pulcher that subordinate helpers reduce investment in territory defence shortly before dispersing. Such reduction of effort is not shown by subordinates who stay and inherit the breeding position. This difference suggests that subordinates ready to leave reduce their investment in the natal territory strategically in favour of future life-history perspectives. It seems to be part of a conditional choice of the dispersal tactic, as this reduction in effort appears only shortly before dispersal, whereas philopatric and dispersing helpers do not differ in defence effort earlier in life. Hence, cooperative territory defence is state-dependent and plastic rather than a consistent part of a fixed life-history trajectory.

scholarly journals Singing above the chorus: cooperative Princess cichlid fish (Neolamprologus pulcher) has high pitch

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rachel K. Spinks ◽  
Moritz Muschick ◽  
Walter Salzburger ◽  
Hugo F. Gante
Keyword(s):  
High Frequency ◽  
Visual Cues ◽  
Laboratory Experiments ◽  
Lake Tanganyika ◽  
Cichlid Fish ◽  
Low Frequency ◽  
Heterogeneous Environments ◽  
Neolamprologus Pulcher ◽  
Complex Species ◽  
Hearing Abilities

AbstractTeleost fishes not only communicate with well-known visual cues, but also olfactory and acoustic signals. Communicating with sound has advantages, as signals propagate fast, omnidirectionally, around obstacles, and over long distances. Heterogeneous environments might favour multimodal communication, especially in socially complex species, as combination of modalities’ strengths helps overcome their individual limitations. Cichlid fishes are known to be vocal, but a recent report suggests that this is not the case for the socially complex Princess cichlid Neolamprologus pulcher from Lake Tanganyika. Here we further investigated acoustic communication in this species. Wild and captive N. pulcher produced high frequency sounds (mean: 12 kHz), when stimulated by mirror images. In laboratory experiments, N. pulcher produced distinct two-pulsed calls mostly, but not exclusively, associated with agonistic displays. Our results suggest that male N. pulcher produce more sounds at greater durations than females. Thus, we confirm that the Princess cichlid does not produce low frequency sounds, but does produce high frequency sounds, both in combination with and independent from visual displays, suggesting that sounds are not a by-product of displays. Further studies on the hearing abilities of N. pulcher are needed to clarify if the high-frequency sounds are used in intra-or inter-specific communication.

Correlates of group size in a cooperatively breeding cichlid fish ( Neolamprologus pulcher )

2001 ◽  
Vol 50 (2) ◽  
pp. 134-140 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sigal Balshine ◽  
Brenda Leach ◽  
Francis Neat ◽  
Hannah Reid ◽  
Michael Taborsky ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Group Size ◽  
Cichlid Fish ◽  
Neolamprologus Pulcher ◽  
Cooperatively Breeding

Isotocin and sociality in the cooperatively breeding cichlid fish, Neolamprologus pulcher

Behaviour ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 151 (10) ◽  
pp. 1389-1411 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adam R. Reddon ◽  
Mathew R. Voisin ◽  
Constance M. O’Connor ◽  
Sigal Balshine
Keyword(s):  
Receptor Antagonist ◽  
Cichlid Fish ◽  
Oxytocin Receptor ◽  
Social Contexts ◽  
Neolamprologus Pulcher ◽  
Proximate Mechanisms ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Cooperatively Breeding ◽  
Broad Generalization ◽  
Study Species

The ultimate functions of sociality, or the tendency to associate with conspecifics and to live within a social group, are increasingly well understood. However, the proximate mechanisms that mediate this behaviour have received less attention. The oxytocin family of nonapeptide hormones (including isotocin in teleost fish) is thought to play an important role in regulating social behaviour across a wide range of taxa and social contexts. In the current study, we investigated the influence of exogenous administration of isotocin and an oxytocin receptor antagonist on sociality in a cooperatively breeding fish, Neolamprologus pulcher. In our first experiment, we found that a high (and a low) dose of peripherally administered exogenous isotocin decreased the time spent associating with conspecifics in N. pulcher, while an intermediate dose had no effect relative to control. In our second experiment, we found that a peripheral administration of an oxytocin receptor antagonist increased grouping preference in male N. pulcher. The results of both experiments suggest that IT may inhibit grouping behaviour in this species. These results contribute to a growing body of literature suggesting that the broad generalization that the oxytocin family of nonapeptides facilitate grouping behaviour is overly simplistic, and that specific behavioural effects depend the study species and testing conditions.

scholarly journals Singing above the chorus: cooperative Princess cichlid fish (Neolamprologus pulcher) has high pitch

Hydrobiologia ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 791 (1) ◽  
pp. 115-125 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rachel K. Spinks ◽  
Moritz Muschick ◽  
Walter Salzburger ◽  
Hugo F. Gante
Keyword(s):  
Cichlid Fish ◽  
High Pitch ◽  
Neolamprologus Pulcher

METABOLIC AND ENDOCRINE ASPECTS OF THE WHIRLER MUTATION IN MALE MICE

1970 ◽  
Vol 64 (2) ◽  
pp. 347-358
Author(s):  
A. Stanley Weltman ◽  
Arthur M. Sackler
Keyword(s):  
Locomotor Activity ◽  
Endocrine Function ◽  
Metabolic Rates ◽  
Heterozygous Female ◽  
Endocrine Organ ◽  
General Body ◽  
Adrenocortical Activity ◽  
Body Weights ◽  
Seminal Vesicle Weight ◽  
Eosinophil Counts

ABSTRACT Body weight, metabolic rate, locomotor activity and alterations in endocrine organ activity were noted in recessive homozygous male whirler mice and the phenotypically »normal« heterozygotes. Representative populations of the two types were studied at different age levels. In general, body weights of the whirler mice were consistently and significantly lower. Open-field locomotion studies similarly indicated heightened locomotor activity. Total leukocyte and eosinophil counts were either markedly or significantly lower in the homozygous vs. heterozygous whirler groups. Evaluation of relative organ weights showed significantly increased adrenal weights in whirler mice sacrificed at 14 weeks and 11 months of age. These changes were accompanied by involution of the thymus. Thus, the varied data indicate persistent increased metabolism and adrenocortical activity during the life-span of the whirler mice. Seminal vesicle weight decreases in the whirler males at 11 months suggest lower gonadal function. The findings are in accord with previous studies of alterations in metabolic rates and endocrine function of homozygous whirler vs. heterozygous female mice.

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