The relationship between social status, behaviour, growth and steroids in male helpers and breeders of a cooperatively breeding cichlid

Hormones and Behavior
Nicole BenderR F Oliveira

Abstract

We tested whether subordinate helper males of the Lake Tanganyika cooperatively breeding cichlid Neolamprologus pulcher show elevated excretion levels of the stress hormone cortisol and reduced levels of 11-ketotestosterone and testosterone when living in groups with a small breeder male, compared to similar helper males living in groups with a large breeder male, in a full-factorial repeated measures experimental design. We also measured the same hormones in breeder males with and without helper males. Previous research showed that the size difference between large male helpers and male breeders in groups of this species influences behaviour and growth decisions. Contrary to our expectation, no effect of the size-difference between helper males and breeder males on helper hormone levels was detected. Furthermore, helper males had similar hormone excretion levels to those of size-matched breeder males without helpers, and to small breeder males. There was no influence of egg laying on breeder male and helper hormone levels during the experiment. Interestingly, all three hormone levels were significantly lower in helpers showing elevated levels of submissive behaviour towards the breeders, independently of the size of the breede...Continue Reading

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Citations

Aug 27, 2014·Trends in Ecology & Evolution·Hans A HofmannDustin R Rubenstein
May 8, 2009·PloS One·Dik HegIan M Hamilton
Mar 1, 2013·Zebrafish·Ana S FélixRui F Oliveira
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Mar 25, 2008·Physiology & Behavior·Nicole BenderMichael Taborsky
Dec 3, 2016·Proceedings. Biological Sciences·Andrew N RadfordFilippo Aureli
Nov 18, 2016·The Journal of Experimental Biology·Corinna von KuerthyMichael Taborsky
Apr 11, 2019·Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological Sciences·Maria Reyes-ContrerasBarbara Taborsky
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May 15, 2021·Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society·Kat Bebbington, Ton G G Groothuis
Aug 6, 2021·Royal Society Open Science·Ines Braga GoncalvesAndrew N Radford
Jan 11, 2022·Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological Sciences·Ian M Hamilton, Macie D Benincasa

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