title: Oxidative ecology of paternal care in wild smallmouth bass,Micropterus dolomieu.
abstract: Physiologically, oxidative stress is considered a homeostatic imbalance between reactive oxygen species production and absorption. From an ecological perspective, oxidative stress may serve as an important constraint to life-history traits, such as lifespan, reproduction and the immune system, and is gaining interest as a potential mechanism underlying life-history trade-offs. Of late, there has been much interest in understanding the role of oxidative stress in the ecology of wild animals, particularly during challenging periods such as reproduction. Here, we used a long-term study population of a fish with sole-male parental care, the smallmouth bass,Micropterus dolomieu, to examine the associations among oxidative stress indicators and life-history variables in nest-guarding males. In addition, we investigated the potential role of oxidative stress as a physiological mediator of the life-history trade-off decision of paternal smallmouth bass to stay with or abandon their brood. We found that oxidative stress was significantly related to the life history of paternal smallmouth bass, such that older, larger fish with greater reproductive experience and larger broods nesting in cooler water temperatures had lower levels of oxidative stress. However, we found no significant correlation between oxidative stress and nesting success, suggesting that oxidative stress may not be involved in the decision of male smallmouth bass to abandon their brood. Wild fish have been relatively understudied in the emerging field of oxidative ecology, and this study makes noteworthy contributions by revealing interesting connections between the life histories of paternal smallmouth bass and their oxidative status.
authors.affiliation: Fish Ecology and Conservation Physiology Laboratory, Department of Biology, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, ON, Canada K1S 5B6 lauraelmer193@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Laura K
authors.identifier: 0000-0003-3182-8786
authors.initials: LK
authors.lastname: Elmer
authors.affiliation: Fish Ecology and Conservation Physiology Laboratory, Department of Biology, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, ON, Canada K1S 5B6.|Wildlife Conservation Society Canada, P.O. Box 10285, Thunder Bay, ON, Canada P7B 6T8.
authors.forename: Constance M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: O'Connor
authors.affiliation: Illinois Natural History Survey, Institute of Natural Resource Sustainability, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1816 South Oak Street, Champaign, IL 61820, USA.
authors.forename: David P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Philipp
authors.affiliation: Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road East, Guelph, ON, Canada N1G 2W1.
authors.forename: Glen
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Van Der Kraak
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, 30 Marie Curie, Ottawa, ON, Canada K1N 6N5.
authors.forename: Kathleen M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Gilmour
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biochemistry, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, ON, Canada K1S 5B6.
authors.forename: William G
authors.initials: WG
authors.lastname: Willmore
authors.affiliation: Florida Wildlife Research Institute, Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission, Tampa, FL 33701, USA.
authors.forename: Brandon L
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: Barthel
authors.affiliation: Fish Ecology and Conservation Physiology Laboratory, Department of Biology, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, ON, Canada K1S 5B6.|Institute of Environmental Science, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, ON, Canada K1S 5B6.
authors.forename: Steven J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Cooke
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000818:Animals; D001492:Bass / Q000502:physiology*; D004249:DNA Damage; D017753:Ecosystem; D008018:Life Cycle Stages; D008297:Male; D009425:Nesting Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D009864:Ontario; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000502:physiology*; D010332:Paternal Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D013696:Temperature
keywords: 8-OHdG; Antioxidant; Life history; Oxidative stress; Smallmouth bass