Effect of carotenoid class and dose on the larval growth and development of the critically endangered southern corroboree frog

McInerney, Emma P.; Silla, Aimee J.; Byrne, Phillip G.

doi:10.1093/conphys/coz009

Cited by 8 publications

(27 citation statements)

References 59 publications

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“…Similarly, β‐carotene has had positive effects on growth and development in tadpoles of the Booroolong frog ( Ranoidea booroolongensis ), but only when an intermediate dose of the supplement is provided (Keogh et al ., 2018). On the other hand, tadpoles of the Corroboree frog ( Pseudophryne corroboree ) have been shown to develop faster when supplemented with β‐carotene, but only at a high dosage (McInerney, Silla & Byrne, 2019). Regardless of dose, lutein had no detectable effects on development in this species (McInerney et al ., 2019).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Differential effect of natural and pigment‐supplemented diets on larval development and phenotype of anurans

2020

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Diet has major effects on development, growth, health, and performance of animals. Photosynthetic pigments, in particular, are key components of the diet of many organisms that can play important roles in their development and performance. Compared to other taxa, we know relatively little about how these pigments impact amphibian larval development. We conducted diet supplementation experiments on tadpoles of two amphibian species, in which we offered various naturally co-occurring aquatic macrophytes or diet enriched or not with supplement pigments. We evaluated the effect of these diets on developmental period, size, mass, color, and jumping performance of metamorphs exposed or not to risk of simulated pond drying during the larval period. Diet based on Myriophyllum alterniflorum resulted in high mortality rates of Mediterranean tree frog larvae (Hyla meridionalis), this macrophyte did not affect survival of Western spadefoot toads (Pelobates cultripes), but individuals took longer to reach metamorphosis. Regardless of the macrophyte consumed, spadefoot toad tadpoles speeded up metamorphosis when exposed to reduced water volume, whereas tree frog tadpoles did not show significant responses to simulated pond drying. The three supplemented diets tested-bcarotene, lutein, and chlorophyll-had positive effects on size and mass of tree frogs; supplemented diet based on b-carotene improved dorsal coloration of tree frogs and had positive effects on size and mass at metamorphosis of spadefoot toads. Tadpoles fed with supplements did not exhibit significant response to water reduction. Our study highlights the importance of larval diet on phenotypically plastic responses and post-metamorphic traits in anurans.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…On the other hand, tadpoles of the Corroboree frog ( Pseudophryne corroboree ) have been shown to develop faster when supplemented with β‐carotene, but only at a high dosage (McInerney, Silla & Byrne, 2019). Regardless of dose, lutein had no detectable effects on development in this species (McInerney et al ., 2019).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Differential effect of natural and pigment‐supplemented diets on larval development and phenotype of anurans

2020

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“…One group of dietary nutrients known to affect yellow/orange coloration are carotenoids (Brenes-Soto et al 2017). Dietary carotenoids are present in captive corroboree diets and recent experimental work has shown that P. corroboree possesses mechanisms needed to sequester and utilize dietary carotenoids (Umbers et al 2016;McInerney et al 2019). Moreover, enhanced carotenoid intake has been shown to alter skin coloration from a yellow to more orange coloration (Umbers et al 2016).…”

Section: Effect Of Colormentioning

confidence: 99%

Multiple phenotypic traits predict male mating success in a critically endangered frog

Kelleher

Silla

McFadden

et al. 2022

Behav Ecol Sociobiol

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Complex sexual signals spanning multiple sensory modalities may be common in nature, yet few studies have explored how combinations of phenotypic traits influence male attractiveness and mating success. Here, we investigate whether combinations of multiple male phenotypic traits (both within and across sensory modalities) predict male mating and fertilization success in the critically endangered southern corroboree frog, Pseudophryne corroboree. We conducted breeding trials in a standardized captive environment where females were given the opportunity to choose between multiple males over the duration of the breeding season. For each male, we measured multiple call traits, aspects of coloration, body size, and age. We found that complex interactions between multiple traits best predicted male mating and fertilization success. In general, males with lower call frequency, lower call rate, and shorter call duration had the highest mating and fertilization success. Fertilization success was additionally linked to male body size and age. These findings suggest that female P. corroboree select mates based on a suite of acoustic traits, adding to a growing body of evidence that females use multiple traits to assess male quality. Our results also suggest that females may combine information from multiple signals non-additively. Moreover, our results imply that females gain direct fertility benefits from their mate choice decisions. We argue that understanding female mate choice based on various signals across multiple sensory modalities has important implications for the integration of mate choice into conservation breeding programs and needs to be considered when developing behavior-based captive breeding strategies. Significance statement Sexual signals are often highly complex, yet we know little about how multiple signal components both within and across various sensory modalities predict male mating success. We investigated whether combinations of multiple phenotypic traits (within and across sensory modalities) predicted male breeding success in threatened corroboree frogs. We conducted captive breeding trials in a homogeneous environment, where females could choose between multiple males over the duration of a single breeding season. We found that interactions between multiple male traits predicted mating and fertilization success. Males with lower call frequency, call rate, and duration had higher mating success. Fertilization success was also linked to acoustic signals, body size, and age. Understanding mate choice for multiple traits further elucidates the complexity of female mate choice. This study is one of the first to consider the conservation implications of multimodal signaling in mate choice.

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“…Most carotenoids can effectively receive electrons, theoretically allowing them to quench and reduce the concentration of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in muscle tissue during periods of strenuous activity, improving physiological performance and endurance (Svennson & Wong, 2011;Koch & Hill, 2018). Indeed, dietary supplementation with carotenoids has been shown to positively influence various energetically costly physiological and behavioral traits, including growth and development (Keogh et al, 2018;McInerney et al, 2019) mating displays and ornamentation (Hill et al, 2002;Arnold et al, 2010) and predator escape response (Silla et al, 2016). Thus, there is reason to think that carotenoids might also positively affect other energetically demanding behavioral traits, such as exploration.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Considering the scarcity of studies, as well as variation in types of carotenoids used across studies, further work is required to determine how carotenoids influence exploratory behavior. Furthermore, a growing body of evidence suggests that the effects of carotenoids may be highly dose dependent, and also vary depending on the physiological and behavioral traits examined (Keogh et al, 2018;McInerney et al, 2019;McInerney et al, 2020). Thus, in order to significantly advance our understanding of the effect of dietary carotenoids on exploration behavior, additional studies investigating dose responses are required.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Captive diet does not influence exploration behavior upon reintroduction to the wild in a critically endangered amphibian

Kelleher¹,

Silla²,

Hunter³

et al. 2022

Front. Conserv. Sci.

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Exploration behavior can have profound effects on individual fitness. Consequently, knowledge of the proximate mechanisms underpinning exploration behavior may inform conservation breeding programs (CBPs) for threatened species. However, the environmental factors that influence exploration behavior in captivity and during the reintroduction process remain poorly understood. Dietary micronutrients, such as carotenoids, are known to affect the expression of energetically costly behavioral traits, and theoretically may also influence the degree of exploration behavior in various contexts. Here, we investigate whether dietary β-carotene supplementation in captivity influences exploration behavior upon reintroduction to the wild in the critically endangered southern corroboree frog, Pseudophryne corroboree. We conducted a manipulative dietary experiment where captive bred P. corroboree were supplemented with different doses of β-carotene for 40 weeks prior to release. Frogs (n = 115) were reintroduced to the wild using a soft-release approach, where they were released into field enclosures specifically designed for this species. Upon reintroduction, the frogs’ initial exploration behavior was measured using a standardized behavioral assay. There was no effect of diet treatment on any measure of exploration behavior (mean latency to leave the initial refuge, time spent mobile within the release apparatus and latency to disperse into the field enclosure). However, there was a significant relationship between individual body size and latency to leave the refuge, whereby smaller individuals left the refuge more rapidly. While these findings provide no evidence that β-carotene at the dosages tested influences P. corroboree exploration behavior in a reintroduction context, the effect of body size draws attention to the potential for bodily state to influence exploration behavior. We discuss the need for ongoing research investigating the influence of captive diet on post release behavior, and highlight how knowledge concerning state-dependent behavior might help to inform and direct reintroduction programs.

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Effect of carotenoid class and dose on the larval growth and development of the critically endangered southern corroboree frog

Abstract: This study shows that dietary β-carotene reduces time to metamorphosis in a critically endangered frog, independent of growth effects. Supplementing captive frogs with dietary β-carotene could assist with amphibian conservation breeding programs globally.

Cited by 8 publications

References 59 publications

Differential effect of natural and pigment‐supplemented diets on larval development and phenotype of anurans

Differential effect of natural and pigment‐supplemented diets on larval development and phenotype of anurans

Multiple phenotypic traits predict male mating success in a critically endangered frog

Captive diet does not influence exploration behavior upon reintroduction to the wild in a critically endangered amphibian

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