Daily rhythm of locomotor and reproductive activity in the annual fish Garcialebias reicherti (Cyprinodontiformes: Rivulidae)

Abstract

Daily rhythms of behavior and their synchronization in relevant social contexts are fundamental for the survival and reproductive success of all animal species. South American annual fish are adapted to extreme environmental conditions, where the ponds they inhabit dry out as the year progresses, while engaging in reproductive behavior from sexual maturity to death. The ever-changing environmental cycles these species are subjected to makes them an excellent model for studying the expression of biological rhythms in nature. In this work we show for the first time that Garcialebias reicherti, an annual fish native to Uruguay shows daily rhythms in both their locomotor and reproductive behavior. This species shows diurnal behavioral patterns, with neither sex nor reproductive context affecting the phase relationship between the light/dark cycle and activity. However, reproductive context modulates the amount of locomotor activity and leads to synchronization between members of the dyads, while introducing a second behavioral rhythm for reproductive events. Reproductive context emerges as a significant modulator of rhythmic behavior, driving circadian rhythms synchronization alongside environmental zeitgebers, while illuminating the complexity of physiological and behavioral coordination.