Abstract
In highly biodiverse systems, such as coral reefs, prey species are faced with predatory threats from numerous species. Recognition of predators can be innate, or learned, and can help increase the chance of survival. Research suggests that parental exposure to increased predatory threats can affect the development, behaviour, and ultimately, success of their offspring. Breeding pairs of damselfish (Acanthochromis polyacanthus) were subjected to one of three olfactory and visual treatments (predator, herbivore, or control), and their developing embryos were subsequently exposed to five different chemosensory cues. Offspring of parents assigned to the predator treatment exhibited a mean increase in heart rate two times greater than that of offspring from parents in herbivore or control treatments. This increased reaction to a parentally known predator odour suggests that predator-treated parents passed down relevant threat information to their offspring, via parental effects. This is the first time transgenerational recognition of a specific predator has been confirmed in any species. This phenomenon could influence predator-induced mortality rates and enable populations to adaptively respond to fluctuations in predator composition and environmental changes.
Highlights
Predation is a major driving force in population and community dynamics (Pettorelli et al, 2011)
Following introduction of the parental predator odour, offspring from the predator treated parents showed an increase in heart rate (+10.13%) that was almost twice that of embryos from the herbivore and seawater control treated parents (+5.14%, +5.49%, respectively; Tukey’s HSD: P < 0.001 for both comparisons; Fig. 3)
This contrasted with the heart rate changes induced by the seawater, embryo alarm odour, novel predator, and herbivore trial odours that did not differ among the three parental treatments (Tukey’s HSD: P = 1.00 for each of the four aforementioned odours, when comparing across parental treatments; Fig. 3)
Summary
Predation is a major driving force in population and community dynamics (Pettorelli et al, 2011). Some species have demonstrated innate recognition of predators (Hawkins, Magurran & Armstrong, 2004), for the majority, learning plays an important role in the identification of relevant threats (Crane & Ferrari, 2013). This learning can occur through direct experience with a predator (e.g., an unsuccessful strike) and through conditioning events, which can be facilitated using chemical alarm odours in aquatic taxa. These olfactory cues are released when the
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