Parasite infection directly impacts escape response and stress levels in fish
| Autor: | Jodie L. Rummer, Bridie J. M. Allan, Paul C. Sikkel, Eric P. Fakan, Alexandra S. Grutter, Mark I. McCormick, Pauline Narvaez, Björn Illing, Eva C. McClure |
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| Přispěvatelé: | 26867214 - Sikkel, Paul C. |
| Rok vydání: | 2020 |
| Předmět: |
0106 biological sciences
Physiology Coral reef fish Zoology Escape response Aquatic Science Biology Predator-prey interactions 010603 evolutionary biology 01 natural sciences Stress level Parasitic Diseases Animals Parasite hosting Micropredator Molecular Biology Cortisol level Ecosystem Ecology Evolution Behavior and Systematics Biomass (ecology) Escape performance Coral Reefs Host (biology) 010604 marine biology & hydrobiology Fishes Insect Science Fish Animal Science and Zoology Fish behaviour Isopoda |
| Zdroj: | Journal of Experimental Biology. |
| ISSN: | 1477-9145 0022-0949 |
| Popis: | Parasites can account for a substantial proportion of the biomass in marine communities. As such, parasites play a significant ecological role in ecosystem functioning via host interactions. Unlike macropredators, such as large piscivores, micropredators rarely cause direct mortality. Rather, micropredators impose an energetic tax, thus significantly affecting host physiology and behaviour via such sublethal effects. Recent research suggests that infection by gnathiid isopods (Crustacea) causes significant physiological stress and increased mortality rates. However, it is unclear whether infection causes changes in the behaviours that underpin escape responses or changes in routine activity levels. Moreover, it is poorly understood whether the cost of gnathiid infection manifests as an increase in cortisol. To investigate this, we examined the effect of experimental gnathiid infection on the swimming and escape performance of a newly settled coral reef fish and whether infection would lead to increased cortisol levels. We found that micropredation by a single gnathiid caused fast-start escape performance and swimming behaviour to significantly decrease and cortisol levels to double. Fast-start escape performance is an important predictor of recruit survival in the wild. As such, altered fitness related traits and short-term stress, perhaps especially during early life stages, may result in large scale changes in the number of fish that successfully recruit to adult populations. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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