scholarly journals Helper Response to Experimentally Manipulated Predation Risk in the Cooperatively Breeding Cichlid Neolamprologus pulcher

PLoS ONE ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 5 (5) ◽  
pp. e10784 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dik Heg ◽  
Michael Taborsky
Keyword(s):  
Predation Risk ◽  
Neolamprologus Pulcher ◽  
Helper Response ◽  
Cooperatively Breeding

scholarly journals Male reproductive suppression in the cooperatively breeding fish Neolamprologus pulcher

2005 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 25-33 ◽  
Author(s):  
J.L. Fitzpatrick ◽  
J.K. Desjardins ◽  
K.A. Stiver ◽  
R. Montgomerie ◽  
S. Balshine
Keyword(s):  
Reproductive Suppression ◽  
Neolamprologus Pulcher ◽  
Cooperatively Breeding

scholarly journals Experimental evidence that sentinel behaviour is affected by risk

2010 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 445-448 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. R. Ridley ◽  
N. J. Raihani ◽  
M. B. V. Bell
Keyword(s):  
Experimental Evidence ◽  
Predation Risk ◽  
Alarm Calls ◽  
Predator Detection ◽  
Conspicuous Feature ◽  
Cooperatively Breeding ◽  
The Cost ◽  
Investment Patterns ◽  
Perceived Predation Risk

Sentinels are a conspicuous feature of some cooperative societies and are often assumed to provide benefits in terms of increased predator detection. Similar to other cooperative behaviours, variation in investment in sentinel behaviour should reflect variation in the benefits of such behaviour. However, evidence for this is inconclusive: to date experiments have manipulated the cost of sentinel behaviour, and considerations of changes in the benefits of sentinel activity on investment patterns are lacking. Here, we experimentally manipulated the benefits of sentinel behaviour in the cooperatively breeding pied babbler ( Turdoides bicolor ) to assess whether this had any impact on sentinel activity. We simulated the presence of an unseen predator using playbacks of heterospecific alarm calls, and the presence of an actual predator using a model snake. In both cases, the increase in perceived predation risk caused an increase in sentinel activity, demonstrating that investment in sentinel activity increases when the benefits are greater.

scholarly journals Simulating more realistic predation threat using attack playbacks

PeerJ ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
pp. e8149
Author(s):  
Mukta Watve ◽  
Sebastian Prati ◽  
Barbara Taborsky
Keyword(s):  
Chemical Cues ◽  
Induced Responses ◽  
Neolamprologus Pulcher ◽  
Predation Threat ◽  
Predator Cues ◽  
Experimental Animals ◽  
Cooperatively Breeding ◽  
Visual Predator ◽  
Predator Odour ◽  
Predator Behaviour

Use of virtual proxies of live animals are rapidly gaining ground in studies of animal behaviour. Such proxies help to reduce the number of live experimental animals needed to stimulate the behaviour of experimental individuals and to increase standardisation. However, using too simplistic proxies may fail to induce a desired effect and/or lead to quick habituation. For instance, in a predation context, prey often employ multimodal cues to detect predators or use specific aspects of predator behaviour to assess threat. In a live interaction, predator and prey often show behaviours directed towards each other, which are absent in virtual proxies. Here we compared the effectiveness of chemical and visual predator cues in the cooperatively breeding cichlid Neolamprologus pulcher, a species in which predation pressure has been the evolutionary driver of its sociality. We created playbacks of predators simulating an attack and tested their effectiveness in comparison to a playback showing regular activity and to a live predator. We further compared the effectiveness of predator odour and conspecific skin extracts on behaviours directed towards a predator playback. Regular playbacks of calmly swimming predators were less effective than live predators in stimulating a focal individual’s aggression and attention. However, playbacks mimicking an attacking predator induced responses much like a live predator. Chemical cues did not affect predator directed behaviour.

Large group size yields group stability in the cooperatively breeding cichlid Neolamprologus pulcher

Behaviour ◽  
2005 ◽  
Vol 142 (11-12) ◽  
pp. 1615-1641 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Taborsky ◽  
Lyanne Brouwer ◽  
Dik Heg ◽  
Zina Bachar
Keyword(s):  
Group Size ◽  
The Body ◽  
Female Size ◽  
Neolamprologus Pulcher ◽  
Large Group ◽  
Cooperatively Breeding ◽  
Group Members ◽  
One Year ◽  
Large Groups

AbstractGroup size has been shown to positively influence survival of group members in many cooperatively breeding vertebrates, including the Lake Tanganyika cichlid Neolamprologus pulcher, suggesting Allee effects. However, long-term data are scarce to test how these survival differences translate into changes in group extinction risk, group size and composition. We show in a field study of 117 groups from six different colonies (three from two populations each), that group size critically influences these parameters between years. Within one year, 34% of the groups went extinct. Group size correlated positively between years and large groups did not go extinct. The latter were more likely to contain small helpers the subsequent year, which is a cumulative measure of the previous months' reproductive success. Finally, there was a tendency that large groups were more likely to contain a breeding male and female still a year after the first check. The breeder male size, breeder female size, and largest helper size did not influence these parameters, and also did not correlate with the sizes of these categories of fish after one year. This suggests that group size, and not the body size or fighting ability of group members, was the critical variable determining the success of groups. In total, seven groups had fused with other groups between years. To our knowledge, this is the first study showing long-term benefits of large group size in a cooperatively breeding fish. We discuss the importance of differential survival and dispersal of group members for the demonstrated group size effects.

Predation risk promotes delayed dispersal in the cooperatively breeding cichlid Neolamprologus obscurus

2016 ◽  
Vol 117 ◽  
pp. 51-58 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hirokazu Tanaka ◽  
Joachim G. Frommen ◽  
Tetsumi Takahashi ◽  
Masanori Kohda
Keyword(s):  
Predation Risk ◽  
Delayed Dispersal ◽  
Cooperatively Breeding

scholarly journals Consistent cooperation in a cichlid fish is caused by maternal and developmental effects rather than heritable genetic variation

2017 ◽  
Vol 284 (1858) ◽  
pp. 20170369 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claudia Kasper ◽  
Mathias Kölliker ◽  
Erik Postma ◽  
Barbara Taborsky
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Variation ◽  
Predation Risk ◽  
Experimental Studies ◽  
Cichlid Fish ◽  
Minor Role ◽  
Cooperative Behaviour ◽  
Egg Predation ◽  
Genetic Components ◽  
Helping Behaviours ◽  
Cooperatively Breeding

Studies on the evolution of cooperative behaviour are typically confined to understanding its adaptive value. It is equally essential, however, to understand its potential to evolve, requiring knowledge about the phenotypic consistency and genetic basis of cooperative behaviour. While previous observational studies reported considerably high heritabilities of helping behaviour in cooperatively breeding vertebrates, experimental studies disentangling the relevant genetic and non-genetic components of cooperative behaviour are lacking. In a half-sibling breeding experiment, we investigated the repeatability and heritability of three major helping behaviours performed by subordinates of the cooperatively breeding fish Neolamprologus pulcher . To experimentally manipulate the amount of help needed in a territory, we raised the fish in two environments differing in egg predation risk. All three helping behaviours were significantly repeatable, but had very low heritabilities. The high within-individual consistencies were predominantly due to maternal and permanent environment effects. The perceived egg predation risk had no effect on helping, but social interactions significantly influenced helping propensities. Our results reveal that developmentally plastic adjustments of provided help to social context shape cooperative phenotypes, whereas heritable genetic variation plays a minor role.

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.

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