Plastic response to a proxy cue of predation risk when direct cues are unreliable

Ecology
Andrea L J MiehlsScott D Peacor

Abstract

Responses to proximate cues that directly affect fitness or cues directly released by selective agents are well-documented forms of phenotypic plasticity. For example, to reduce predation risk, prey change phenotype in response to light level (e.g., moon phase) when light affects predation risk from visual predators, and to chemical cues (kairomones) released by predators. Less well understood is the potential for organisms to perceive predation risk through "proxy cues": proximate cues that correlate with, but do not directly affect predation risk. Previous field studies indicate that body and spine length of an invasive cladoceran in Lake Michigan, Bythotrephes longimanus (the spiny water flea), increase during the growing season, coincident with a decrease in clutch size. Although the cause of seasonal trait changes is not known, changes are associated with warmer water temperature and increased predation risk from gape-limited fish (i.e., fish whose ability to consume Bythotrephes is limited by mouth size). Using a laboratory experiment, we found no effect of fish (Perca flavescens) kairomones on Bythotrephes morphology or life history. In contrast, higher water temperature led to longer absolute spine and body length, incr...Continue Reading

References

Aug 1, 1993·American Journal of Physical Anthropology·G H AlbrechtS E Hartman
Mar 14, 2001·Trends in Ecology & Evolution·C S. Kolar, D M. Lodge
May 17, 2006·Trends in Ecology & Evolution·Massimo Pigliucci
Dec 1, 2004·Integrative and Comparative Biology·J KozlowskiM Danko
Nov 1, 1991·Oecologia·D Rae Barnhisel

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Citations

Jun 12, 2014·Evolution; International Journal of Organic Evolution·Andrea L J MiehlsAndrew G McAdam
Apr 3, 2015·Journal of Evolutionary Biology·A L J MiehlsA G McAdam
Feb 29, 2020·The Journal of Experimental Biology·Eloísa Ramos-RodríguezJosé María Conde-Porcuna

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