CHEMICAL RECOGNITION OF RISKY HABITATS IS CULTURALLY TRANSMITTED AMONG FATHEAD MINNOWS, PIMEPHALES-PROMELAS (OSTEICHTHYES, CYPRINIDAE)

Citation
Dp. Chivers et Rjf. Smith, CHEMICAL RECOGNITION OF RISKY HABITATS IS CULTURALLY TRANSMITTED AMONG FATHEAD MINNOWS, PIMEPHALES-PROMELAS (OSTEICHTHYES, CYPRINIDAE), Ethology, 99(4), 1995, pp. 286-296
Citations number
30
Language
INGLESE
art.tipo
Article
Categorie Soggetti
Zoology,"Behavioral Sciences",Zoology,"Behavioral Sciences
Journal title
ISSN journal
0179-1613
Volume
99
Issue
4
Year of publication
1995
Pages
286 - 296
Database
ISI
SICI code
0179-1613(1995)99:4<286:CRORHI>2.0.ZU;2-R
Abstract
Fathead minnows (Pimephales promelas) have an alarm substance (AS), or 'Schreckstoff', in epidermal club cells. Mechanical damage to the ski n, as caused by a predator attack, releases the AS. The area in which conspecifics detect AS may be considered dangerous or risky because of the high probability of a subsequent predator attack. We exposed fath ead minnows to water from one of two habitats (an open-water site and a vegetated-cover site) that we mixed with either AS or a distilled wa ter control. Upon subsequent exposure to water from these habitats alo ne, minnows showed an antipredator response to the water they experien ced in conjunction with AS, but not to water they received in conjunct ion with the distilled water control. These results confirmed that min nows can be conditioned with AS to recognize chemical cues from high-r isk habitats. Naive minnows present during the fright response of cond itioned minnows also exhibited antipredator behaviour, and subsequentl y responded when tested alone. Our results demonstrate that learned re cognition of high-risk habitats can be transmitted culturally, which m ay allow minnows to lower their risk of predation.