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Response to conspecific chemical cues in surface- and cave-dwelling populations of Atlantic mollies, Poecilia mexicana

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Abstract

Cavefishes typically evolve sensory adaptations to compensate for the loss of visual orientation and communication in their naturally dark habitats. We compared the response to chemical cues from conspecifics between surface- and cave-dwelling populations of Atlantic mollies (Poecilia mexicana) using dichotomous association preference tests. In one of the two described cave populations, females spent significantly more time in the preference zone containing chemical cues of conspecifics compared to the preference zone receiving control water, while no discrimination was detected in the other cave population and in two surface populations. Our findings suggest chemo-sensory adaptations in only one of two cave populations and independent evolutionary trajectories in both cave populations.

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Acknowledgments

We thank D. Brettschneider, J. Baier, S. Krause, S. Czuprynski, M. Hartung and V. Schöler for their assistance during data collection as well as H. Geupel and E. Wörner for help with animal care. The experiments presented in this paper comply with the current laws in Germany and are approved by Regierungspräsidium Darmstadt. We thank two anonymous reviewers for their valuable comments that greatly helped improve the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Goethe University of Frankfurt, Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Straße 13, D-60438, Frankfurt am Main, Germany

    Jonas Jourdan, Max Jordan, Claudia Zimmer & Constanze Eifert

  2. Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (BiKF), Senckenberganlage 25, 60325, Frankfurt am Main, Germany

    Jonas Jourdan

  3. División Académica de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Juárez Autónoma de Tabasco (UJAT), C.P. 86150, Villahermosa, Tabasco, Mexico

    Lenin Arias-Rodriguez

  4. College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Xinong Road no. 22, 712100, Yangling, Shaanxi, People’s Republic of China

    Martin Plath

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  1. Jonas Jourdan
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  2. Max Jordan
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  3. Claudia Zimmer
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  4. Constanze Eifert
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  5. Lenin Arias-Rodriguez
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  6. Martin Plath
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Correspondence to Jonas Jourdan.

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Jourdan, J., Jordan, M., Zimmer, C. et al. Response to conspecific chemical cues in surface- and cave-dwelling populations of Atlantic mollies, Poecilia mexicana . Environ Biol Fish 99, 697–703 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10641-016-0510-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10641-016-0510-0

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