10.5061/DRYAD.5DV41NS46
Demandt, Nicolle
0000-0001-9560-1906
University of Münster
Praetz, Marit
University of Münster
Kurvers, Ralf
Max Planck Institute for Human Development
Krause, Jens
Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries
Kurtz, Joachim
University of Münster
Scharsack, Jörn
University of Münster
Parasite infection disrupts escape behaviour in fish shoals
Dryad
dataset
2020
Gasterosteus aculeatus
Schistocephalus solidus
behavioural manipulation
Group behaviour
Gasterosteus aculeatus
Schistocephalus solidus
behavioural manipulation
Group behaviour
German Academic Exchange Service
https://ror.org/039djdh30
91557716
2020-08-12T00:00:00Z
2020-08-12T00:00:00Z
en
58453 bytes
3
CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0) Public Domain Dedication
Many prey species have evolved collective responses to avoid predation.
They rapidly transfer information about potential predators to trigger and
coordinate escape waves. Predation avoidance behaviour is often
manipulated by trophically transmitted parasites, to facilitate their
transmission to the next host. We hypothesised that the presence of
infected, behaviourally altered individuals might disturb the spread of
escape waves. We used the tapeworm Schistocephalus solidus, which
increases risk-taking behaviour and decrease social responsiveness of its
host, the three spined stickleback, to test this hypothesis. Three
subgroups of sticklebacks were placed next to one another in separate
compartments with shelter. The middle subgroup contained either uninfected
or infected sticklebacks. We confronted an outer subgroup with an
artificial bird strike, and studied how the escape response spread through
the subgroups. With uninfected sticklebacks in the middle, escape waves
spread rapidly through the entire shoal and fish remained in shelter
thereafter. With infected sticklebacks in the middle, the escape wave was
disrupted and uninfected fish did hardlyrarely used the shelter. Infected
individuals can disrupt the transmission of flight responses, thereby not
only increasing their own predation risk but also that of their uninfected
shoal members. Our study uncovers a potentially far-reaching fitness
consequence of grouping with infected individuals.