title: Embryonic exposure to conspecific chemicals suppresses cane toad growth and survival.
abstract: Adaptations to suppress the viability of conspecifics may provide novel ways to control invasive taxa. The spread of cane toads (Rhinella marina) through tropical Australia has had severe ecological impacts, stimulating a search for biocontrol. Our experiments show that cane toad tadpoles produce waterborne chemical cues that suppress the viability of conspecifics encountering those cues during embryonic development. Brief (72 h) exposure to these cues in the egg and post-hatching phases massively reduced rates of survival and growth of larvae. Body sizes at metamorphosis (about three weeks later) were almost twice as great in control larvae as in tadpole-exposed larvae. The waterborne cue responsible for these effects might provide a weapon to reduce toad recruitment within the species' invaded range.
authors: School of Biological Sciences, A08, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales 2006, Australia.
authors: Michael R
authors: MR
authors: Crossland
authors: Richard
authors: R
authors: Shine
mesh_terms: D000819:Animal Communication; D000818:Animals; D049628:Body Size; D002024:Bufo marinus / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology*; D004625:Embryo, Nonmammalian / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D047108:Embryonic Development / Q000187:drug effects; D058865:Introduced Species; D007814:Larva / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology; D008675:Metamorphosis, Biological / Q000187:drug effects*; D009026:Mortality; D010063:Ovum / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology; D010675:Pheromones / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011897:Random Allocation
chemical_list: D010675:Pheromones