Metabolism, oxidative stress and territorial behaviour in a female colour polymorphic cichlid fish

Dijkstra, P. D., Pierotti, M. E.R., Seehausen, O. and Metcalfe, N. B. (2016) Metabolism, oxidative stress and territorial behaviour in a female colour polymorphic cichlid fish. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, 70(1), pp. 99-109. (doi: 10.1007/s00265-015-2028-4)

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Abstract

Intrasexual selection on body coloration is thought to play an important role in the evolution of colour polymorphism, but its physiological underpinnings have received limited attention. In the colour polymorphic cichlid Neochromis omnicaeruleus, three fully sympatric female colour morphs—a plain morph (P) and two conspicuously coloured blotched morphs, black-and-white blotched (WB) and orange blotched (OB)—differ in agonistic behaviour. We compared routine metabolic rate (when females were housed in social isolation), short-term energetic costs of interacting with a same-colour rival housed in an adjacent transparent chamber and oxidative stress between the three female colour morphs. WB females had a lower routine metabolic rate compared with the other colour morphs. WB females also had a lower active metabolic rate during inter-female interactions than OB females, while OB females used more oxygen per unit aggressive act than the other two colour morphs. However, there were no consistent differences in oxidative stress between the three morphs. Concerted divergence in colour, behaviour and metabolism might contribute to the evolution of these polymorphisms in sympatry.

Item Type:Articles
Additional Information:The research was supported by a postdoctoral fellowship from NWO (Rubicon-grant) and a Marie Curie Fellowship grant to PDD and NERC grant NE.K00400X/1 to NBM, who was also funded by ERC Advanced Grant 332784 during the writing of this paper.
Status:Published
Refereed:Yes
Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID:Metcalfe, Professor Neil
Authors: Dijkstra, P. D., Pierotti, M. E.R., Seehausen, O., and Metcalfe, N. B.
College/School:College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences > School of Biodiversity, One Health & Veterinary Medicine
Journal Name:Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology
Publisher:Springer
ISSN:0340-5443
ISSN (Online):1432-0762

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Project CodeAward NoProject NamePrincipal InvestigatorFunder's NameFunder RefLead Dept
613341Why is fast growth costly, and what are the consequences for offspring viability?Neil MetcalfeNatural Environment Research Council (NERC)NE/K00400X/1RI BIODIVERSITY ANIMAL HEALTH & COMPMED