The `club` cell and behavioural and physiological responses to chemical alarm cues in the Nile tilapia

The alarm response to skin extract has been well documented in fish. In response to skin extract, there is a decline in both locomotion activity and aggressive interactions. Our observation herein of these responses in the cichlid Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus, confirmed the existence of the alarm response in this species. However, so far there has been a paucity of information on the autonomic correlates of this response. In this study, the ventilatory change in response to the chemical alarm cue was evaluated. This parameter was measured 4 min before and 4 min after exposure to 1 mL of either conspecific skin extract or distilled water (extract vehicle). Skin extract induced an increase in the ventilation rate, which suggested an anticipatory adjustment to potentially harmful stimuli. The chemical cue (alarm substance) also interfered with the prioritisation of responses to different environmental stimuli (stimuli filtering); this was suggested by the observation that the Nile tilapia declined to fight after exposure to a cue that indicates a risk of predation. Furthermore, histological analysis of the Nile tilapia skin revealed the presence of putative alarm substance-producing (club) cells.

The 'club' cell and behavioural and physiological responses to chemical alarm cues in the Nile tilapia

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Cortisol influences the antipredator behavior induced by chemical alarm cues in the Frillfin goby

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Stress responses to chemical alarm cues in Nile tilapia

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Mollusca Non-Grata: The influence of top-down control and residence time on the abundance, distribution, and behavior of non-native marine snails in Washington State

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Washington, 2016-06

At odds with the group: Changes in lateralization and escape performance reveal conformity and conflict in fish schools

Many vertebrates are known to show behavioural lateralization, whereby they differentially use one side of their body or either of their bilateral organs or limbs. Behavioural lateralization often manifests in a turning bias in fishes, with some individuals showing a left bias and others a right bias. Such biases could be the source of considerable conflict in fish schools given that there may be considerable social pressure to conform to the group to maintain effective group evasion. Here, we show that predation pressure is a major determinant of the degree of lateralization, both in a relative and absolute sense, in yellow-and-blueback fusiliers (Caesio teres), a schooling fish common on coral reefs. Wild-caught fish showed a bias for right turning. When predation pressure was experimentally elevated or relaxed, the strength of lateralization changed. Higher predation pressure resulted in an increase in the strength of lateralization. Individuals that exhibited the same turning bias as the majority of individuals in their group had improved escape performance compared with individuals that were at odds with the group. Moreover, individuals that were right-biased had improved escape performance, compared with left-biased ones. Plasticity in lateralization might be an important evolutionary consequence of the way gregarious species respond to predators owing to the probable costs associated with this behaviour.

Role of olfaction and vision cues in feeding behavior and alarm reaction in the catfish pintado, Pseudoplatystoma corruscans

Experiments were performed to investigate senses that are essential for mediating fright reaction and food behavior in Pseudoplatystoma corruscans, pintado. The dilemma ""to feed or to flee"" was also analyzed in fishes with intact and sectioned olfactory tracts, stimulated by alarm substance extracts and food. Fishes were arranged into five groups: fish with intact lateral olfactory tracts (LOT), fish with intact medial olfactory tract (MOT), fish with tracts totally sectioned (TOTAL, both LOT and MOT), sham operated, and nonoperated fish. The five groups were submitted to either alarm substance extract and food stimulus or to distilled water (control) and food stimulus. Fish reacted to food independently of which tract (LOT, MOT or TOTAL) was sectioned; vision seems necessary and elemental to detect and deflagrate food response. Latency of the responses to each reaction was different between groups. None of the fish with sectioned tracts reacted to alarm substance extract, while sham- and nonoperated fish showed the typical alarm behavior response, leading to the conclusion that olfaction is essential for mediating alarm response. These results indicate that others sense systems (e.g., vision) are sufficient to trigger and elicit feeding behavior and that olfaction is not necessary to fully maintain food detection to qualitative and quantitative extent. However, olfactory tract integrity seems to be required for mediation of alarm reaction in P. corruscans.

Role of olfaction and vision cues in feeding behavior and alarm reaction in the catfish pintado, Pseudoplatystoma corruscans

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Mouse alarm pheromone shares structural similarity with predator scents.

Sensing the chemical warnings present in the environment is essential for species survival. In mammals, this form of danger communication occurs via the release of natural predator scents that can involuntarily warn the prey or by the production of alarm pheromones by the stressed prey alerting its conspecifics. Although we previously identified the olfactory Grueneberg ganglion as the sensory organ through which mammalian alarm pheromones signal a threatening situation, the chemical nature of these cues remains elusive. We here identify, through chemical analysis in combination with a series of physiological and behavioral tests, the chemical structure of a mouse alarm pheromone. To successfully recognize the volatile cues that signal danger, we based our selection on their activation of the mouse olfactory Grueneberg ganglion and the concomitant display of innate fear reactions. Interestingly, we found that the chemical structure of the identified mouse alarm pheromone has similar features as the sulfur-containing volatiles that are released by predating carnivores. Our findings thus not only reveal a chemical Leitmotiv that underlies signaling of fear, but also point to a double role for the olfactory Grueneberg ganglion in intraspecies as well as interspecies communication of danger.

Blood Cues Induce Antipredator Behavior in Nile Tilapia Conspecifics

In this study, we show that the fish Nile tilapia displays an antipredator response to chemical cues present in the blood of conspecifics. This is the first report of alarm response induced by blood-borne chemical cues in fish. There is a body of evidence showing that chemical cues from epidermal 'club' cells elicit an alarm reaction in fish. However, the chemical cues of these 'club' cells are restricted to certain species of fish. Thus, as a parsimonious explanation, we assume that an alarm response to blood cues is a generalized response among animals because it occurs in mammals, birds and protostomian animals. Moreover, our results suggest that researchers must use caution when studying chemically induced alarm reactions because it is difficult to separate club cell cues from traces of blood. © 2013 Barreto et al.

The scent of stress: Pintado catfish differentially respond to chemical cues from stressed conspecifics

We examined whether pintado catfish (Pseudoplatystoma corruscans) can discriminate between scents of non-injured conspecifics stressed by a predator or by confinement and how fish use this information in the trade-off between feeding and predator avoidance. In the confinement stress condition, fish ingested the food, whereas in the predator stress condition, fish did not eat. This finding and comparisons of the latency to food ingestion and the time spent swimming between the confinement and predator-stress conditions indicated that pintado catfish can discriminate between conspecifics stressed by a predator or confinement using chemical cues, and use this information for adjusting the trade-off between food intake and predator avoidance.

Behavioral alarm treatment for nocturnal enuresis

PURPOSES: To investigate the efficacy of alarm treatment in a sample of Brazilian children and adolescents with nocturnal enuresis and relate treatment success to age and type of clinical support. MATERIALS AND METHODS: During 32 weeks, 84 children and adolescents received alarm treatment together with weekly psychological support sessions for individual families or groups of 5 to 10 families. RESULTS: 71% of the participants achieved success, defined as 14 consecutive dry nights. The result was similar for children and adolescents and for individual or group support. The time until success was shorter for participants missing fewer support sessions. CONCLUSIONS: Alarm treatment was effective for the present sample, regardless of age or type of support. Missing a higher number of support sessions, which may reflect low motivation for treatment, increased the risk of failure.

Changes in parents' and self-reports of behavioral problems in Brazilian adolescents after behavioral treatment with urine alarm for nocturnal enuresis

PURPOSE: Compare parents' reports of youth problems (PRYP) with adolescent problems self-reports (APSR) pre/post behavioral treatment of nocturnal enuresis (NE) based on the use of a urine alarm. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Adolescents (N = 19) with mono-symptomatic (primary or secondary) nocturnal enuresis group treatment for 40 weeks. Discharge criterion was established as 8 weeks with consecutive dry nights. PRYP and APSR were scored by the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) and Youth Self-Report (YSR). RESULTS: Pre-treatment data: 1) Higher number of clinical cases based on parent report than on self-report for Internalizing Problems (IP) (13/19 vs. 4/19), Externalizing Problems (EP) (7/19 vs. 5/19) and Total Problem (TP) (11/19 vs. 5/19); 2) Mean PRYP scores for IP (60.8) and TP (61) were within the deviant range (T score ≥ 60); while mean PRYP scores for EP (57.4) and mean APSR scores (IP = 52.4, EP = 49.5, TP = 52.4) were within the normal range. Difference between PRYP' and APSR' scores was significant. Post treatment data: 1) Discharge for majority of the participants (16/19); 2) Reduction in the number of clinical cases on parental evaluation: 9/19 adolescents remained within clinical range for IP, 2/19 for EP, and 7/19 for TP. 3) All post-treatment mean scores were within the normal range; the difference between pre and post evaluation scores was significant for PRYP. CONCLUSIONS: The behavioral treatment based on the use of urine alarm is effective for adolescents with mono-symptomatic (primary and secondary) nocturnal enuresis. The study favors the hypothesis that enuresis is a cause, not a consequence, of other behavioral problems.

On the functional integration between postural and supra-postural tasks on the basis of contextual cues and task constraint

In order to evaluate the effects of uncertainty about direction of mechanical perturbation and supra-postural task constraint on postural control young adults had their upright stance perturbed while holding a tray in a horizontal position Stance was perturbed by moving forward or backward a supporting platform contrasting situations of certainty versus uncertainty of direction of displacement Increased constraint on postural stability was Imposed by a supra-postural task of equilibrating a cylinder on the tray Performance was assessed through EMG of anterior leg muscles angular displacement of the main Joints involved in the postural reactions and displacement of the tray Results showed that both certainty on the direction of perturbation and Increased supra-postural task constraint led to decreased angular displacement of the knee and the hip Furthermore combination of certainty and high supra-postural task constraint produced shorter latency of muscular activation Such postural responses were paralleled by decreased displacement of the tray Thesi results suggest a functional integration between the tasks with central set priming reactive postural responses from contextual cues and Increased stability demand (C) 2010 Elsevier B V All rights reserved

Nestmate recognition in a stingless bee: does the similarity of chemical cues determine guard acceptance?

The ability to discriminate nestmates from non-nestmates is critical to the maintenance of the integrity of social insect colonies. Guard workers compare the chemical cues of an incoming individual with their internal template to determine whether the entrant belongs to their colony. In contrast to honeybees, Apis mellifera, stingless bees have singly mated queens and, therefore, are expected to have a higher chemical homogeneity in their colonies. We tested whether aggressive behaviour of Frieseomelitta varia guards towards nestmate and non-nestmate foragers reflects chemical similarities and dissimilarities, respectively, of cuticular hydrocarbon profiles. We also introduced individuals of Lestrimelitta limao, an obligatory robber species, to test the ability of guards to react effectively to intruders from other taxa. We verified that foraging nestmates were almost invariably accepted, while heterospecific and conspecific non-nestmates were rejected at relatively high rates. However, non-nestmate individuals with higher chemical profile similarity were likely to be accepted by guards. We conclude that guards compare the chemical cuticular blend of incoming individuals and make acceptance decisions according to the similarity of the compounds between the colonies. (c) 2007 The Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.