Elevated water temperature initially affects reproduction and behavior but not cognitive performance or physiology in Gambusia affinis

Abstract

Warming temperatures associated with climate change and urbanization affect both terrestrial and aquatic populations with freshwater fish being especially vulnerable. As fish rely on water temperature to regulate their body temperature, elevated temperatures can alter physiology and in turn behavioral and cognitive skills. We examined whether reproduction, physiology, behavior, and cognitive skills were altered by exposure to elevated water temperatures during one reproductive cycle in the live-bearing fish, Gambusia affinis. We found that within four days of exposure to a higher temperature (31°C), females were more likely to drop underdeveloped offspring than females maintained at 25°C. However, females did not show a change in cortisol release rates over time or altered fecundity and reproductive allotment, despite increased growth at the higher temperature. But in the heat treatment fish that started the experiment with higher baseline cortisol dropped their offspring sooner than fish with lower cortisol release rates. We used a detour test to explore behavior and cognitive skills at three time points after exposure to the heat treatments: early, midway, and at the end (day 7, 20 and 34). We found that on day 7, females were less likely to exit the starting chamber when maintained at 31°C but did not differ in their time to exit the starting chamber or in their motivation (reach the clear barrier). Similarly, females did not differ in their time to swim around the barrier to reach a female fish reward (solving skill). Nonetheless, we found a link between behavior and cognition, where females who were slower to exit the start chamber got around the barrier faster, indicating that they learned from prior experience. Together our results indicate that G. affinis is initially affected by elevated water temperatures but may partially cope with higher temperatures by not altering their hypothalamus-interrenal axis (baseline cortisol), and at the same time this might act to buffer their young. Acclimation may reduce costs for this species and potentially explain why they are successful invaders and tolerant species despite climate change.