scholarly journals Predator recognition and responses in the endangered Macquarie perch (Macquaria australasica)

2015 ◽  
Vol 66 (2) ◽  
pp. 127 ◽  
Author(s):  
Culum Brown ◽  
Jennifer Morgan
Keyword(s):  
Invasive Species ◽  
Endangered Species ◽  
Introduced Species ◽  
Visual Cues ◽  
Chemical Cues ◽  
Conservation Management ◽  
Perca Fluviatilis ◽  
Habitat Destruction ◽  
Perch Perca Fluviatilis ◽  
Threatening Processes

Macquarie perch, Macquaria austalasica, is an endangered species endemic to southern Australia whose distribution is highly fragmented and continues to decline. Key threatening processes include habitat destruction, dams and weirs, overfishing and interactions with introduced species. Here, we examined the responses of small and large Macquarie perch to two native predators and to the introduced redfin perch, Perca fluviatilis. Our results showed that Macquarie perch generally avoided large-bodied native predators but was attracted to small-bodied native predators. Responses to large and small redfin perch lay between these two extremes, suggesting that the Macquarie perch does treat these foreign fish as potential threats. Macquarie perch relied on both visual and chemical cues to identify predators, although its response tended to be stronger when exposed to visual cues. The results suggest that Macquarie perch has the capacity to recognise and respond to invasive species in a threat-sensitive manner, which has positive implications for the conservation management of the species.

scholarly journals Perch, Perca fluviatilis show a directional preference for, but do not increase attacks toward, prey in response to water-borne cortisol

PeerJ ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
pp. e3883 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lindsay J. Henderson ◽  
Mary R. Ryan ◽  
Hannah M. Rowland
Keyword(s):  
Visual Cues ◽  
Chemical Cues ◽  
Public Information ◽  
Perca Fluviatilis ◽  
Predatory Behavior ◽  
Predator Prey ◽  
Perch Perca Fluviatilis ◽  
Directional Preference ◽  
Response To Water ◽  
Water Borne

In freshwater environments, chemosensory cues play an important role in predator-prey interactions. Prey use a variety of chemosensory cues to detect and avoid predators. However, whether predators use the chemical cues released by disturbed or stressed prey has received less attention. Here we tested the hypothesis that the disturbance cue cortisol, in conjunction with visual cues of prey, elevates predatory behavior. We presented predators (perch, Perca fluviatilis) with three chemosensory choice tests and recorded their location, orientation, and aggressive behavior. We compared the responses of predators when provided with (i) visual cues of prey only (two adjacent tanks containing sticklebacks); (ii) visual and natural chemical cues of prey vs. visual cues only; and (iii) visual cues of prey with cortisol vs. visual cues only. Perch spent a significantly higher proportion of time in proximity to prey, and orientated toward prey more, when presented with a cortisol stimulus plus visual cues, relative to presentations of visual and natural chemical cues of prey, or visual cues of prey only. There was a trend that perch directed a higher proportion of predatory behaviors (number of lunges) toward sticklebacks when presented with a cortisol stimulus plus visual cues, relative to the other chemosensory conditions. But they did not show a significant increase in total predatory behavior in response to cortisol. Therefore, it is not clear whether water-borne cortisol, in conjunction with visual cues of prey, affects predatory behavior. Our results provide evidence that cortisol could be a source of public information about prey state and/or disturbance, but further work is required to confirm this.

Responses of Acilius sulcatus (Coleoptera: Dytiscidae) to chemical cues from perch ( Perca fluviatilis )

Oecologia ◽  
1997 ◽  
Vol 111 (2) ◽  
pp. 166-171 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kajsa Åbjörnsson ◽  
Bálint M. A. Wagner ◽  
Anna Axelsson ◽  
Rickard Bjerselius ◽  
K. Håkan Olsén
Keyword(s):  
Chemical Cues ◽  
Perca Fluviatilis ◽  
Perch Perca Fluviatilis

The use of scats as social signals in a solitary, endangered scincid lizard, Tiliqua adelaidensis

2010 ◽  
Vol 37 (7) ◽  
pp. 582 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aaron L. Fenner ◽  
C. Michael Bull
Keyword(s):  
Endangered Species ◽  
Chemical Cues ◽  
Conservation Management ◽  
Random Pattern ◽  
Nearest Neighbour ◽  
Social Signals ◽  
Male And Female ◽  
Solitary Living ◽  
Living Species ◽  
Common Behaviour

Context The deliberate accumulation of faeces or scats in one location is a common behaviour used for social signalling. The endangered pygmy bluetongue lizard, Tiliqua adelaidensis, is a solitary-living species that appears to use scats as social signals. Previous studies have found that these lizards approach burrows more cautiously if there is a conspecific scat present and behave differently to scats from male and female conspecifics, indicating that these lizards can recognise scat-based conspecific cues. For endangered species, understanding how an animal uses and responds to chemical cues has the potential to become a powerful tool in conservation management. Aims To investigate whether these solitary lizards might be using scats as social signals by testing whether scats were being deposited in a non-random pattern designed to maximise their exposure to the nearest neighbour conspecifics. Method In the present study, we investigated the spatial pattern of scatting behaviour by pygmy bluetongue lizards in the field. Results Scats were consistently deposited in one direction that was significantly aligned with the nearest occupied burrow of a neighbouring lizard. The same deposition sites were used when previous scats were either destroyed by rain, or experimentally moved to a different location. Male lizards deposited scats significantly closer to their own burrows when neighbours were closer. Key conclusions The results were consistent with the lizards using scats to advertise their presence and status. The scat-deposition patterns observed in the present study suggest that scats are used as an olfactory signal associated with social organisation of pygmy bluetongue lizards. Implications Current plans for the conservation management of this endangered species include translocations. By understanding how these lizards respond to, and use chemical cues, we may be able to use this knowledge to aid in translocation programs, e.g. by pre-establishing territories for individuals before they are introduced into the population.

Consumption of plant material by perch (Perca fluviatilis)

2016 ◽  
Vol 65 (2) ◽  
pp. 95-97 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tomáš Zapletal ◽  
Zdeněk Adámek ◽  
Pavel Jurajda ◽  
Kevin Roche ◽  
Lucie Všetičková ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Plant Material ◽  
Perca Fluviatilis ◽  
Perch Perca Fluviatilis

scholarly journals Notes on the threatened lowland forests of Mt Cameroon and their endemics including Drypetes burnleyae sp. nov., with a key to species of Drypetes sect. Stipulares (Putranjivaceae)

Kew Bulletin ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin Cheek ◽  
Nouhou Ndam ◽  
Andrew Budden
Keyword(s):  
Conservation Management ◽  
Conservation Status ◽  
Central Africa ◽  
Habitat Destruction ◽  
Coastal Forests ◽  
Key To Species ◽  
International Union ◽  
Species Discovery ◽  
Mount Cameroon ◽  
Lowland Forests

SummaryThis paper reports a further discovery of a new endemic threatened species to science in the context of botanical surveys in the lowland coastal forests of Mount Cameroon in the Cross River-Sanaga interval of west-central Africa. These studies now focus on species discovery and conservation through the Tropical Important Plant Areas programme. New species to science continue to be discovered from Mt Cameroon. Most of these species are rare, highly localised, and threatened by habitat destruction, increasing the justification for improved conservation management of surviving habitat. Drypetes burnleyae is placed in and keyed out in Drypetes sect. Stipulares, a group mostly confined to Lower Guinea, here adjusted to accommodate nine species. The conservation status of Drypetes burnleyae is assessed as Endangered (EN B1+2ab(iii)) according to the 2012 criteria of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature. An updated overview of the plant endemics of Mt Cameroon is presented.

scholarly journals Effects of parasites upon non-host predator avoidance behaviour in native and invasive gammarids

Parasitology ◽  
2020 ◽  
pp. 1-7
Author(s):  
Sajad Farahani ◽  
Per J. Palsbøll ◽  
Ido Pen ◽  
Jan Komdeur
Keyword(s):  
Invasive Species ◽  
Definitive Host ◽  
Predator Avoidance ◽  
Gasterosteus Aculeatus ◽  
Chemical Cues ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Fundamental Question ◽  
Intermediate Hosts ◽  
Gammarus Fossarum ◽  
Acanthocephalan Parasite

Abstract The acanthocephalan parasite, Polymorphus minutus, manipulates its intermediate hosts' (gammarids) behaviour, presumably to facilitate its transmission to the definitive hosts. A fundamental question is whether this capability has evolved to target gammarids in general, or specifically sympatric gammarids. We assessed the responses to chemical cues from a non-host predator (the three-spined sticklebacks Gasterosteus aculeatus) in infected and non-infected gammarids; two native (Gammarus pulex and Gammarus fossarum), and one invasive (Echinogammarus berilloni) species, all sampled in the Paderborn Plateau (Germany). The level of predator avoidance was assessed by subjecting gammarids to choice experiments with the presence or absence of predator chemical cues. We did not detect any behavioural differences between uninfected and infected G. pulex and E. berilloni, but an elevated degree of predator avoidance in infected G. fossarum. Avoiding non-host predators may ultimately increase the probability of P. minutus' of predation by the definitive host. Our results suggested that P. minutus' ability to alter the host's behaviour may have evolved to specifically target sympatric gammarid host species. Uninfected gammarids did not appear to avoid the non-host predator chemical cues. Overall the results also opened the possibility that parasites may play a critical role in the success or failure of invasive species.

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