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The role of dilution and differential predation in brood adoptions of the Midas cichlid (Amphilophus xiloaensis)

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Abstract

Laboratory experiments were conducted to determine if the addition of conspecific “foreign” fry affects the survival of “host” fry in the Midas cichlid, Amphilophus xiloaensis. The study consisted of two separate experiments: (1) adoption treatments simulated by adding 75 foreign fry to a host brood containing 150 fry and parents (10 trials where host fry were larger, 10 trials where foreign fry were larger); (2) control treatments in which no foreign fry were added to a host brood containing 150 fry and parents (20 trials). Predation was imposed by introducing three bigmouth sleepers (Gobiomorus dormitor). No significant differences were found between the survival of host, foreign, and control fry after 24 h. Survival was significantly affected by fry size, leading to differential predation on smaller fry. Mean predation rate increased proportionally with brood size, therefore the addition of conspecific foreign fry did not result in dilution of the host brood.

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Acknowledgements

Thanks to Ray Morgan for his help with the development of the manuscript, to Bianca McIntyre and Angela Burns for their help in the lab, and to John Hoogland and Brent Murry for their valuable comments on the manuscript. This project was conducted at the Appalachian Laboratory in Frostburg, Md. This paper is Scientific Contribution no. 3805 of the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, Appalachian Laboratory.

This experiment complies with the current laws of the United States and the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee. The experiment was performed under IACUC no. S-AL-01-02.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Appalachian Laboratory, University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, 301 Braddock Rd., Frostburg, MD, 21532, USA

    Jennifer Barker Fulton, Kenneth R. McKaye & Robert H. Hilderbrand

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  1. Jennifer Barker Fulton
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  2. Kenneth R. McKaye
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  3. Robert H. Hilderbrand
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Correspondence to Jennifer Barker Fulton.

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Communicated by Rui F. Oliveira

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Fulton, J.B., McKaye, K.R. & Hilderbrand, R.H. The role of dilution and differential predation in brood adoptions of the Midas cichlid (Amphilophus xiloaensis). acta ethol 7, 81–87 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10211-004-0098-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10211-004-0098-9

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