Hormonal correlations at transition from reproduction to molting in an annual life cycle of Humboldt penguins ( Spheniscus humboldti)

Abstract

To understand the hormonal mechanism behind a unique strategy of breeding and molting in Humboldt penguins, six pairs of captive Humboldt penguins kept in an outdoor open display pen were observed and blood collected weekly for a year. They all molted between the middle of June and the middle of August within 10 days except one pair that molted about a month later. The late pair had been rearing a hatchling until July due to the successful second clutch after the first clutch failed. A peak of plasma levels of thyroxine and triiodothyronine, respectively, overlapped a period of molting in both sexes. Plasma testosterone concentrations in the males and females were lowest for two month during a period of pre-molt and molting. Plasma concentrations of estradiol were also lowest during the molt in both sexes. Except for the period of molting, sex steroid hormone concentrations were high although there was great individual variation. During the molt, the birds were forced to fast since they did not enter the pool in the display pen where they usually forage live fish. To compensate this forced fasting, they took more food than usual during pre-molting period and gained body mass to about 20% more than the baseline value. Increased flipper thickness was parallel to increased body mass indicating that the gained body mass attributed to fat reservoir. These data indicate that rapid molting in Humboldt penguins is correlated with a drastic increase and decrease of thyroid hormones during the period of lowest concentrations in sex steroid hormones.