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Basic Methods for the Study of Reproductive Ecology of Fish in Aquaria
Published on: July 20, 2017
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Egg-mediated maternal effects in a cooperatively breeding cichlid fish
Maria Reyes-Contreras1, Bonnie de Vries2, J C van der Molen3
1Division of Behavioural Ecology, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Wohlenstrasse 50A, 3032, Hinterkappelen, Switzerland.
Scientific Reports
|June 16, 2023
Summary
Maternal social environment did not alter egg corticosteroid levels in fish. Embryos modified maternal signals, suggesting offspring experience shapes social phenotype, not maternal effects.
Area of Science:
- Behavioral Ecology
- Reproductive Biology
- Fish Biology
Background:
- Maternal effects, transmitted via eggs, can shape offspring phenotype.
- Environmental cues influence maternal effects, but embryos can modify these signals.
- Understanding the interplay between maternal and embryonic roles is crucial for social phenotype development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of mothers and embryos in shaping offspring social phenotype in Neolamprologus pulcher.
- To determine if maternal social environment influences egg-mediated maternal effects.
- To examine how embryos process maternal signals related to corticosteroid metabolites.
Main Methods:
- Manipulated the maternal social environment (small vs. large groups) of Neolamprologus pulcher.
- Compared egg mass, clutch size, and corticosteroid metabolite concentrations in eggs.
- Analyzed differences between fertilized and unfertilized eggs to assess embryonic processing of maternal signals.
Main Results:
- Mothers in small groups produced larger clutches but did not alter egg size or corticosteroid deposition.
- Fertilized eggs showed lower concentrations of specific corticosteroid metabolites (11-deoxycortisol, cortisone, 11-deoxycorticosterone).
- No significant egg-mediated maternal effects were detected based on the maternal social environment.
Conclusions:
- The maternal social environment did not directly induce egg-mediated maternal effects on corticosteroid levels in N. pulcher.
- Embryos appear to actively modify maternal corticosteroid signals.
- Divergent social phenotypes in different group sizes may be influenced by offspring's own experiences rather than maternal effects.
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