Co‐occurrence of large branchiopods and killifish in African savannah ponds

Pinceel, Tom; Berghen, Birgit Vanden; Buschke, Falko T.; Waterkeyn, Aline; Nerantzoulis, Ivan da Costa; Rodrigues, Mery; Thoré, Eli S.J.; Burrough, R. J.; Worth, Ellery; Brendonck, Luc

doi:10.1002/ecy.3505

Cited by 9 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 12 publications

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“…Comparing a very narrow range of turbidity may not adequately demonstrate its effect on fish, a broader range has the potential to better capture an observable effect on foraging success (Newport et al, 2021;Ortega et al, 2020). Wild turquoise killifish experience turbidity up to twice as high as tested here; therefore, we may have used a level of turbidity that was too low in our study (Pinceel et al, 2021;Reichard et al, 2009;Figure 1a). Similarly, three-spine stickleback foraging success is not decreased by turbidity of ~300 NTU and a negative effect becomes observable from 480 NTU (Johannesen et al, 2012).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

“…On the other hand, their frequent appearance in extremely turbid waters contradicts this assumption. The turquoise killifish diet is dominated by zooplankton and aquatic insect larvae (Pinceel et al., 2021; Polačik & Reichard, 2010). They are particulate feeders which is well supported by the almost complete absence of detritus in their digestive tract (Žák et al., 2019).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…They are particulate feeders which is well supported by the almost complete absence of detritus in their digestive tract (Žák et al., 2019). Turquoise killifish prefer soft‐bodied prey over hard‐bodied zooplankton and their presence in periodic pools is key to shaping invertebrate communities there (Pinceel et al., 2021).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The effect of water turbidity on prey consumption and female feeding patterns in African turquoise killifish

Žák,

Šuhajová

2024

Ecology of Freshwater Fish

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Water turbidity alters prey detectability and prey selection by a predator. In dimorphic mesopredators, the effect of water turbidity on foraging success may be sex specific, primarily due to sex differences in reproductive allotment, body size and vulnerability to predation. To experimentally test the effect of turbidity on prey consumption with respect to sex, we used turquoise killifish (Nothobranchius furzeri), a small fish from ephemeral savanna pools in southeast Africa that vary widely in turbidity. Large males possess conspicuous nuptial coloration while females are smaller and drab. Vision is assumed to be a fundamental sense for turquoise killifish, despite often living in very turbid water. As mesopredators, killifish regulate the invertebrate community in ephemeral pools. We tested the consumption of bloodworms (benthic and red‐coloured) and glassworms (pelagic and transparent) under clear (<1NTU) and turbid (320 NTU) water conditions. We found that turquoise killifish maintained their overall foraging success irrespective of turbidity. In both the clear and turbid water, the females consumed three times more food than males relative to their body mass. This likely stems from the females' high nutritional demands due to daily reproduction. It also suggests that females are not risk‐aversive in clear water despite their smaller size. Water turbidity affected the type of prey consumed by turquoise killifish and demonstrated its potential to affect the community structure of invertebrate species in ephemeral pools.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The effect of water turbidity on prey consumption and female feeding patterns in African turquoise killifish

Žák,

Šuhajová

2024

Ecology of Freshwater Fish

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“…Locally different multiple interactions involving both physical and biological factors possibly promote different processes of character displacement in different areas (e.g. Pinceel et al, 2021), ultimately bringing to a within-species niche displacement pattern.…”

Section: Taxonomic and Ecological Shortfallsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cryptic diversity, niche displacement and our poor understanding of taxonomy and ecology of aquatic microorganisms

2022

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The analysis of ecological niche is an important task to correctly identify the role exerted by species within ecosystems, to assess their vulnerability, to plan effective measures addressed at fulfilling the postulates of biological conservation, and ultimately to prevent biodiversity loss. However, for the majority of organisms our knowledge about the actual extent of their ecological niche is quite limited. This is especially true for microscopic organisms. Evidence exists that in different geographical areas allegedly conspecific populations can show different, if not antithetical, ecological requirements and not-overlapping ecological niches. This opinion paper discusses whether this “niche displacement” effectively occurs between conspecific populations or if the pattern is rather due to an inaccurate identification of species and/or to an insufficient knowledge about population and community ecology. Hence, some subjectively selected study cases when alleged phenomena of niche displacements take place are presented, and shortfalls in the correct assessment of the identity and ecological niches of microscopic aquatic eukaryotes, namely phytoplankton, zooplankton, and meiofauna are shown.

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“…Killifish populations survive this periodic drying by virtue of drought‐resistant eggs that are buried in the sediment. These eggs only hatch during a next inundation, after which the fish complete their life cycle in just a few months before the pond dries again (Pinceel et al ., 2021). As a result, turquoise killifish can mature as fast as within 3 weeks after hatching and have a typical lifespan of about 5–6 months (Blažek et al ., 2013; Cellerino et al ., 2016).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Substrate colour guides turquoise killifish's (Nothobranchius furzeri) choice of preferred spawning habitat

Thoré

Merckx²

2023

Journal of Fish Biology

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Turquoise killifish (Nothobranchius furzeri) is a promising new model species used in biomedical and ecological laboratory experiments, and should be kept under optimal conditions to ensure fish welfare and the quality of science. While the popularity of this model species is rapidly increasing, we need to improve our understanding of how the species interacts with its environment to optimize its husbandry. Specifically, turquoise killifish are substrate spawners that bury their eggs in the sediment, which can be accommodated under captive conditions, but it is not yet known whether or not turquoise killifish have a preference for a specific sediment colour. Here, we performed a laboratory experiment in which fish could choose between white, orange and black sand for spawning, colours which are relevant in both laboratory and field conditions. We assessed their preference in the context of single breeding pairs, as well as in a social group setting. Additionally, we also assessed the preference of individuals for a white versus black background in a nonmating context. Single breeding pairs deposited over 3.5 times more eggs in black compared to orange or white sand. Similarly, fish in social groups deposited over 3.5 times more eggs in black compared to orange sand, which in turn was over two times higher than that in white sand. Fish showed a slight preference for the black compared to the white zone in a nonmating context, but this did not correlate with substrate choice during the spawning tests. The results suggest that turquoise killifish select their preferred spawning location based on the colour of the substrate. These findings contribute to our understanding of the species' biology and can help to guide good welfare and scientific practice.

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Co‐occurrence of large branchiopods and killifish in African savannah ponds

Cited by 9 publications

References 12 publications

The effect of water turbidity on prey consumption and female feeding patterns in African turquoise killifish

The effect of water turbidity on prey consumption and female feeding patterns in African turquoise killifish

Cryptic diversity, niche displacement and our poor understanding of taxonomy and ecology of aquatic microorganisms

Substrate colour guides turquoise killifish's (Nothobranchius furzeri) choice of preferred spawning habitat

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