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The Effects of Short-Term Exposure to an Endocrine Disrupter on Behavioral Consistency in Male Juvenile and Adult Siamese Fighting Fish

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Abstract

17α-Ethinyloestradiol (EE2) is known to impact courtship and aggression but how exposure affects the consistency with which individuals express these behaviors over time is not commonly addressed. In addition, how juvenile and adult male fish differ in levels of behavioral consistency, both before and after EE2 exposure, is unknown. To examine these questions, juvenile and adult male Siamese fighting fish were presented with a dummy male and dummy female simultaneously both before and after acute exposure to a nominal (15 ng/L) dose of EE2. Multiple trials were conducted to measure how consistent individual differences are affected by age and EE2 exposure. Both female- and male-directed behaviors decreased after short-term exposure to EE2. Juvenile and adult fish differed in the number of female-directed tail beats and bites they performed, with adult fish performing more tail beats and juvenile fish performing more bites. EE2 exposure had a greater effect on consistent individual differences in female-directed than in male-directed behaviors, which may be a byproduct of intense artificial selection for aggression in this species. Repeatability values were lower both before and after exposure in juvenile than in adult fish, suggesting that individuals become more consistent with age. This study suggests that male Siamese fighting fish vary in their sensitivity to short-term EE2 exposure and stresses the importance of examining behavior over multiple time points both within and across age classes to gain a more thorough understanding of the effects of endocrine disruptors on behavior.

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank Lindsay Forrette and Kimberly Hentz for their assistance with conducting behavioral assays and fish care. They also thank Amy Keirstead for her role in performing dilution calculations, creating the EE2 stock solution, and determining the presence of EE2 in the tank water. Lindsay Forrette, Christina Perazio, and two anonymous referees provided important feedback on an earlier version of this manuscript. This study was funded by a UNE VPR fellowship to O. L. H.

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  1. Department of Psychology, University of New England, Biddeford, ME, USA

    Teresa L. Dzieweczynski

  2. Department of Biology, University of New England, Biddeford, ME, USA

    Olivia L. Hebert

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  1. Teresa L. Dzieweczynski
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Correspondence to Teresa L. Dzieweczynski.

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Dzieweczynski, T.L., Hebert, O.L. The Effects of Short-Term Exposure to an Endocrine Disrupter on Behavioral Consistency in Male Juvenile and Adult Siamese Fighting Fish. Arch Environ Contam Toxicol 64, 316–326 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00244-012-9820-1

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