Puff and bite: the relationship between the glucocorticoid stress response and anti-predator performance in checkered puffer (Sphoeroides testudineus).
Individual variation in the endocrine stress response has been linked to survival and performance in a variety of species. Here, we evaluate the relationship between the endocrine stress response and anti-predator behaviors in wild checkered puffers (Sphoeroides testudineus) captured at Eleuthera Island, Bahamas. The checkered puffer has a unique and easily measurable predator avoidance strategy, which is to inflate or 'puff' to deter potential predators. In this study, we measured baseline and stress-induced circulating glucocorticoid levels, as well as bite force, a performance measure that is relevant to both feeding and predator defence, and 'puff' performance. We found that puff performance and bite force were consistent within individuals, but generally decreased following a standardized stressor. Larger puffers were able to generate a higher bite force, and larger puffers were able to maintain a more robust puff performance following a standardized stressor relative to smaller puffers. In terms of the relationship between the glucocorticoid stress response and performance metrics, we found no relationship between post-stress glucocorticoid levels and either puff performance or bite force. However, we did find that baseline glucocorticoid levels predicted the ability of a puffer to maintain a robust puff response following a repeated stressor, and this relationship was more pronounced in larger individuals. Our work provides a novel example of how baseline glucocorticoids can predict a fitness-related anti-predator behavior.
Fish Ecology and Conservation Physiology Laboratory, Department of Biology, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario K1S 5B6, Canada.
Felicia
F
Cull
Department of Psychology, Neuroscience and Behaviour, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario L8S 4L8, Canada. Electronic address: coconn@mcmaster.ca.
Constance M
CM
O'Connor
Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences, University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana, IL 61801, USA.
Cory D
CD
Suski
Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences, University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana, IL 61801, USA; Cape Eleuthera Institute, Eleuthera, Bahamas.
Aaron D
AD
Shultz
Department of Environmental Conservation, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA 01003, USA.
Andy J
AJ
Danylchuk
Fish Ecology and Conservation Physiology Laboratory, Department of Biology, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario K1S 5B6, Canada; Institute of Environmental Science, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario K1S 5B6, Canada.
Steven J
SJ
Cooke
D000818:Animals; D001732:Bite Force; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000378:metabolism*; D011235:Predatory Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D013312:Stress, Physiological / Q000502:physiology*; D023721:Tetraodontiformes / Q000502:physiology*
D006854:Hydrocortisone
Bite force; Cort-fitness; Corticosterone; Cortisol; Stress; Teleost