10.5061/DRYAD.QG80Q
Olsson, Karin H.
University of Gothenburg
Kvarnemo, Charlotta
University of Gothenburg
Andrén, Maria Norevik
University of Gothenburg
Larsson, Therese
University of Gothenburg
Data from: Hypoxia increases the risk of egg predation in a nest-guarding fish
Dryad
dataset
2016
clutch cannibalism
nest defence
egg predation
low oxygen
2016-08-01T16:11:54Z
2016-08-01T16:11:54Z
en
https://doi.org/10.1098/rsos.160326
24279 bytes
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CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0) Public Domain Dedication
For fish with parental care, a nest should meet both the oxygenation needs
of the eggs and help protect them against predators. While a small nest
opening facilitates the latter, it impedes the former and vice versa. We
investigated how the presence of potential egg predators in the form of
shore crabs Carcinus maenas affects nest building, egg fanning, defensive
displays and filial cannibalism of egg-guarding male sand gobies
Pomatoschistus minutus under two levels of dissolved oxygen. In the high
oxygen treatment, males retained their nest opening size in the presence
of crabs, while males in low oxygen built large nest openings both in the
absence and presence of crabs, despite the fact that crabs were more
likely to successfully intrude into nests with large entrances. Males in
low oxygen also fanned more. In the presence of crabs males increased
their defensive displays, but while males in high oxygen reduced fanning,
males in low oxygen did not. Filial cannibalism was unaffected by
treatment. Sand gobies thus prioritize egg ventilation over the protection
afforded by small nest openings under hypoxia and adopt defensive
behaviour to avert predator attention, even though this does not fully
offset the threat from the egg predators.
Male sand goby egg care and anti-predator defensive behaviourData on male
care (egg fanning, defensive displays and nest opening size) under high
and low oxygen, out of and in the presence of egg predators (shore crabs).
Also listed are data on fish length, crab carapace length and filial
cannibalism.data_tables.pdf