Dose-dependent fluoxetine effects on boldness in male Siamese fighting fish

Abstract

As the use of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) continues to rise, these compounds enter the environment in increasing frequency. One such PPCP, fluoxetine, has been found in detectable amounts in aquatic ecosystems worldwide, where it may interfere with the behavior of exposed organisms. Fluoxetine exposure has been found to influence boldness and exploration in a range of fish species; however, how it might alter behavior in multiple contexts or over time is rarely examined. To this end, the effects of fluoxetine on boldness over time were studied in male Siamese fighting fish. Three different groups of males (0, 0.5 and 5 µg l −1 fluoxetine) were tested in multiple boldness assays (empty tank, novel environment and shoal) once a week for 3 weeks to collect baseline measures and then at three different time points postexposure. The effects of these varying exposure amounts on behavior were then examined for overall response, consistency and across-context correlations. Unexposed males were bolder in all contexts, were more consistent within a context, and had stronger between-context correlations than exposed males. Fluoxetine had dose-dependent effects on behavior, as males that received the higher dose exhibited greater behavioral effects. This study stresses the potential fitness consequences of fluoxetine exposure and suggests that examining behavioral effects of PPCPs under different dosing regimens and in multiple contexts is important to gain an increased understanding of how exposure affects behavior.

Pace of life syndrome under warming and pollution: integrating life history, behavior, and physiology across latitudes

“…For behavior, the consistent pattern reflected the expected coupling of more active animals also being more explorative and more risk taking. This contrasts with previous studies where contaminant exposure either induced a coupling between two behaviors (Brodin et al 2013) or disrupted behavioral correlations (Royaut e et al 2015a, Dzieweczynski et al 2016. In contrast to the expectations, behavior was less strongly integrated into the syndrome (see also Debecker et al 2016).…”

“…, Dzieweczynski et al. ). In contrast to the expectations, behavior was less strongly integrated into the syndrome (see also Debecker et al.…”

Boldness traits, not dominance, predict exploratory flight range and homing behaviour in homing pigeons

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