title: Developmental plasticity in vision and behavior may help guppies overcome increased turbidity.
abstract: Increasing turbidity in streams and rivers near human activity is cause for environmental concern, as the ability of aquatic organisms to use visual information declines. To investigate how some organisms might be able to developmentally compensate for increasing turbidity, we reared guppies (Poecilia reticulata) in either clear or turbid water. We assessed the effects of developmental treatments on adult behavior and aspects of the visual system by testing fish from both developmental treatments in turbid and clear water. We found a strong interactive effect of rearing and assay conditions: fish reared in clear water tended to decrease activity in turbid water, whereas fish reared in turbid water tended to increase activity in turbid water. Guppies from all treatments decreased activity when exposed to a predator. To measure plasticity in the visual system, we quantified treatment differences in opsin gene expression of individuals. We detected a shift from mid-wave-sensitive opsins to long wave-sensitive opsins for guppies reared in turbid water. Since long-wavelength sensitivity is important in motion detection, this shift likely allows guppies to salvage motion-detecting abilities when visual information is obscured in turbid water. Our results demonstrate the importance of developmental plasticity in responses of organisms to rapidly changing environments.
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of California-Davis, One Shields Ave., Davis, CA, 95616, USA. smehlman@ucdavis.edu.|Animal Behavior Graduate Group and Center for Population Biology, University of California-Davis, Davis, USA. smehlman@ucdavis.edu.
authors.forename: Sean M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Ehlman
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Dr., Burnaby, BC, V5A 1S6, Canada.
authors.forename: Benjamin A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Sandkam
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Dr., Burnaby, BC, V5A 1S6, Canada.
authors.forename: Felix
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Breden
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of California-Davis, One Shields Ave., Davis, CA, 95616, USA.
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sih
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004777:Environment; D005123:Eye / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000502:physiology*; D008027:Light; D008297:Male; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000502:physiology*; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity / Q000502:physiology; D055355:Opsins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D011036:Poecilia / Q000502:physiology*; D011235:Predatory Behavior / Q000502:physiology; D014785:Vision, Ocular / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D055355:Opsins
keywords: Developmental plasticity; Opsin gene expression; Poecilia reticulata; Response to environmental change; Turbidity