Effects of plastic hatching timing carry over through metamorphosis in red‐eyed treefrogs

Abstract

Environmentally cued plasticity in hatching timing is widespread in animals. As with later life‐history switch points, plasticity in hatching timing may have carryover effects that affect subsequent interactions with predators and competitors. Moreover, the strength of such effects of hatching plasticity may be context dependent. We used red‐eyed treefrogs, Agalychnis callidryas, to test for lasting effects of hatching timing (four or six days post‐oviposition) under factorial combinations of resource levels (high or low) and predation risk (none, caged, or lethal Pantala flavescens dragonfly naiads). Tadpoles were raised in 400‐L mesocosms in Gamboa, Panama, from hatching until all animals had metamorphosed or died, allowing assessment of effects across a nearly six‐month period of metamorphosis. Hatching early reduced survival to metamorphosis, increased larval growth, and had context‐dependent effects on metamorph phenotypes. Early during the period of metamorph emergence, early‐hatched animals were larger than late‐hatched ones, but this effect attenuated over time. Early‐hatched animals also left the water with relatively longer tails. Lethal predators dramatically reduced survival to metamorphosis, with most mortality occurring early in the larval period. Predator effects on the timing of metamorphosis and metamorph size and tail length depended upon resources. For example, lethal predators reduced larval periods, and this effect was stronger with low resources. Predators affected metamorph size early in the period of metamorphosis, whereas resource levels were a stronger determinant of phenotype for animals that metamorphosed later. Effects of hatching timing were detectable on top of strong effects of larval predators and resources, across two subsequent life stages, and some were as strong as or stronger than effects of resources. Plasticity in hatching timing is ecologically important and currently underappreciated. Effects on metamorph numbers and phenotypes may impact subsequent interactions with predators, competitors, and mates, with potentially cascading effects on recruitment and fitness.