Behavioral response to chemical cues from injured conspecifics in the livebearing fish, Brachyrhaphis rhabdophora

Abstract

Predator–prey dynamics have led to a strong selection of prey's ability to detect and respond to information about the risk environment. Further, intrinsic factors, such as sex, may cause prey to perceive and respond to information differently. Chemical alarm cues from injured conspecifics are a classic example of how prey have evolved to use publicly available information to shape their behavior and enhance fitness, yet sex-specific alarm reactions are rarely considered. The purpose of our study was to compare how males and females respond to conspecific chemical alarm cues in the livebearing fish species, Brachyrhaphis rhabdophora. Furthermore, we tested males and females from populations with a high- or low-predation environment. Brachyrhaphis rhabdophora showed strong alarm reactions, but contrary to our predictions, showed limited variation due to sex or predation environment. We found that males and females from both populations displayed lower activity levels and increased their swimming depth when exposed to an alarm cue, despite variable and consistent baseline behaviors among individuals. These data further contribute to our understanding of what factors shape the evolution of behavioral responses to chemical alarm cues in fishes.