The nest matters: reproductive state influences decision-making and behavioural consistency to conflicting stimuli in male Siamese fighting fish, Betta splendens

Dzieweczynski, Teresa L.; Gill, Courtney E.; Walsh, Meghan M.

doi:10.1163/000579510x493142

Cited by 15 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 19 publications

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“…For example, in several fishes, males either prioritize one stimulus or divide their time between them when faced with a courtship opportunity and a territorial intruder simultaneously (e.g. [2][3][4][5]). While the outcome of decisions over courtship and territorial defence have been well-studied, how the brain responds to multiple, competing demands simultaneously remains an open question [1].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A distinct neurogenomic response to a trade-off between social challenge and opportunity in male sticklebacks (Gasterosteus aculeatus)

Barbasch,

Behrens,

McLain

et al. 2023

Biol. Lett.

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Animals frequently make adaptive decisions about what to prioritize when faced with multiple, competing demands simultaneously. However, the proximate mechanisms of decision-making in the face of competing demands are not well understood. We explored this question using brain transcriptomics in a classic model system: threespined sticklebacks, where males face conflict between courtship and territorial defence. We characterized the behaviour and brain gene expression profiles of males confronted by a trade-off between courtship and territorial defence by comparing them to males not confronted by this trade-off. When faced with the trade-off, males behaviourally prioritized defence over courtship, and this decision was reflected in their brain gene expression profiles. A distinct set of genes and biological processes was recruited in the brain when males faced a trade-off and these responses were largely non-overlapping across two brain regions. Combined, these results raise new questions about the interplay between the neural and molecular mechanisms involved in decision-making.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A distinct neurogenomic response to a trade-off between social challenge and opportunity in male sticklebacks (Gasterosteus aculeatus)

Barbasch,

Behrens,

McLain

et al. 2023

Biol. Lett.

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2020

Fish Behavior 2

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The Effects of Short-Term Exposure to an Endocrine Disrupter on Behavioral Consistency in Male Juvenile and Adult Siamese Fighting Fish

Dzieweczynski

Hebert

2012

Arch Environ Contam Toxicol

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17α-Ethinyloestradiol (EE2) is known to impact courtship and aggression but how exposure affects the consistency with which individuals express these behaviors over time is not commonly addressed. In addition, how juvenile and adult male fish differ in levels of behavioral consistency, both before and after EE2 exposure, is unknown. To examine these questions, juvenile and adult male Siamese fighting fish were presented with a dummy male and dummy female simultaneously both before and after acute exposure to a nominal (15 ng/L) dose of EE2. Multiple trials were conducted to measure how consistent individual differences are affected by age and EE2 exposure. Both female- and male-directed behaviors decreased after short-term exposure to EE2. Juvenile and adult fish differed in the number of female-directed tail beats and bites they performed, with adult fish performing more tail beats and juvenile fish performing more bites. EE2 exposure had a greater effect on consistent individual differences in female-directed than in male-directed behaviors, which may be a byproduct of intense artificial selection for aggression in this species. Repeatability values were lower both before and after exposure in juvenile than in adult fish, suggesting that individuals become more consistent with age. This study suggests that male Siamese fighting fish vary in their sensitivity to short-term EE2 exposure and stresses the importance of examining behavior over multiple time points both within and across age classes to gain a more thorough understanding of the effects of endocrine disruptors on behavior.

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The nest matters: reproductive state influences decision-making and behavioural consistency to conflicting stimuli in male Siamese fighting fish, Betta splendens

Cited by 15 publications

References 19 publications

A distinct neurogenomic response to a trade-off between social challenge and opportunity in male sticklebacks (Gasterosteus aculeatus)

A distinct neurogenomic response to a trade-off between social challenge and opportunity in male sticklebacks (Gasterosteus aculeatus)

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The Effects of Short-Term Exposure to an Endocrine Disrupter on Behavioral Consistency in Male Juvenile and Adult Siamese Fighting Fish

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