Short-term heat waves have long-term consequences for parents and offspring in stickleback

Abstract

Extreme temperature events, such as heat waves, can have lasting effects on the behavior, physiology, and reproductive success of organisms. Here we examine the impact of short-term exposure to a simulated heat wave on condition, parental care, and reproductive success in a population of threespine stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus), a small fish with exclusive paternal care, currently experiencing regular heat waves. Males were either exposed to a simulated heat wave (23°C) for five days or held at ideal temperature (18°C). Following this five-day treatment, all males were transferred to 18°C where they completed a full parenting cycle. Offspring were raised at 18°C. We found that while mass and body condition were unaffected in males exposed to a heat wave, cortisol responses were dampened across the nesting cycle compared to control males. In addition, heat wave males had longer latency for eggs to hatch, lower hatching success, and showed lower levels of parental care behavior compared to control males. Offspring of heat wave males had lower body condition, affecting swimming performance. Altogether, our results highlight the long-term impact that even short-term events can have on reproductive success, parental behavior, and subsequent generations, providing insight into population responses to rapid environmental change.