Conspecific and heterospecific alarm substance induces behavioral responses in piau fish Leporinus piau |
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Authors: | Augusto Barbosa Júnior Elisângela Jaqueline Magalhães Anette Hoffmann Liliam Midori Ide |
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Institution: | 2. Laboratório de Neurofisiologia e Neuroanatomia Comparada, Departamento de Fisiologia, Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeir?o Preto, USP. Av. Bandeirantes 3900, Monte Alegre, 14049-900, Ribeir?o Preto, S?o Paulo, Brazil 1. Laboratório de Ecofisiologia, Departamento de Ciências Naturais, Universidade Federal de S?o Jo?o del-Rei, Pra?a Dom Helvécio 74, 36301-160, S?o Jo?o del-Rei, Minas Gerais, Brazil
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Abstract: | In ostariophysan fish, the detection of alarm substance released from the skin of a conspecific or a sympatric heterospecific
may elicit alarm reactions or antipredator behavioral responses. In this study, experiments were performed to characterize
and quantify the behavioral response threshold of Leporinus piau, both individually and in schools, to growing dilutions of conspecific (CAS) and heterospecific skin extract (HAS). The predominant
behavioral response to CAS stock stimulation was biphasic for fish held individually, with a brief initial period of rapid
swimming followed by a longer period of immobility or reduced swimming activity. As the dilution of skin extract was increased,
the occurrence and magnitude of the biphasic alarm response tended to decrease, replaced by a slowing of locomotion. Slowing
was the most common antipredator behavior, observed in 62.5% of animals submitted to HAS stimulation. School cohesion, measured
as proximity of fish to the center of the school, and swimming activity near the water surface significantly increased after
exposure to CAS when compared with the control group exposed to distilled water. Histological analysis of the epidermis revealed
the presence of Ostariophysi-like club cells. The presence of these cells and the behavioral responses to conspecific and
heterospecific skin extract stimulation suggest the existence of a pheromone alarm system in L. piau similar to that in Ostariophysi, lending further support for the neural processing of chemosensory information in tropical
freshwater fish. |
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