Behavioral and respiratory responses to stressors in multiple populations of three-spined sticklebacks that differ in predation pressure

Bell, A.M., Henderson, L. and Huntingford, F. A. (2010) Behavioral and respiratory responses to stressors in multiple populations of three-spined sticklebacks that differ in predation pressure. Journal of Comparative Physiology B: Biochemical, Systems, and Environmental Physiology, 180(2), pp. 211-220. (doi: 10.1007/s00360-009-0395-8)

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Publisher's URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00360-009-0395-8

Abstract

Individual animals of the same species inhabiting environments which differ in the frequency and magnitude of stressors often exhibit different physiological and behavioral responses to stressors. Here, we compare the respiratory response to confinement stress, and behavioral responses to ecologically relevant challenges among sticklebacks from 11 different populations varying in predation pressure. We found that sticklebacks from high predation populations breathed faster in response to confinement stress and were, on an average, more behaviorally responsive to a pike behind glass compared with sticklebacks from low predation populations. These patterns differ from the results of studies on other species, highlighting the need for a conceptual framework to understand the proximate and ultimate factors shaping variable responses to stressors over developmental and evolutionary time. Moreover, physiological and behavioral responses were integrated with each other, both at the individual and population levels. In general, fish that were more aggressive and bold in the presence of a predator breathed faster, independent of body size. These results are consistent with the growing body of evidence that individuals differ in a suite of physiological and behavioral mechanisms for coping with challenges in the environment.

Item Type:Articles
Status:Published
Refereed:Yes
Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID:Huntingford, Professor Felicity and Henderson, Ms Lindsay
Authors: Bell, A.M., Henderson, L., and Huntingford, F. A.
Subjects:Q Science > QH Natural history > QH301 Biology
College/School:College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences > School of Biodiversity, One Health & Veterinary Medicine
Journal Name:Journal of Comparative Physiology B: Biochemical, Systems, and Environmental Physiology
Publisher:Springer
ISSN:0174-1578
ISSN (Online):1432-136X
Published Online:24 August 2009

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