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Synergistic interactions between chemical alarm cues and the presence of conspecific and heterospecific fish shoals

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Abstract

Chemical and visual sources of information are used by aquatic prey during risk assessment. Here, we test the behavioral response of littoral prey fish to combinations of chemical alarm cues (skin extract) and the visual presence of a fish shoal. We scented minnow traps with either alarm cues or water (control) placed inside the trap, a jar that contained either a fish shoal or nothing (control), and recorded the number and species of fish captured. We predicted that chemical alarm cues would reduce the number of fish captured and that a fish shoal would increase the number of fish captured. The predicted effect of chemical and visual cues combined depended on the nature of the interaction. We found that the lowest catch rate was for the combination of alarm cue + no shoal, but the highest catch rate occurred for the combination of alarm cue + shoal. Fish shoal + water had the second highest catch rate and no shoal + water had the second lowest catch rate. We conclude that chemical alarm cues induce area avoidance in the absence of a shoal, but a strong behavioral proclivity to increase shoal cohesion in the presence of a shoal. The presence of a shoal in the traps induced alarmed fish to shoal with them and thus, enter the traps. This occurred even though traps were the source of the alarm cue.

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Acknowledgements

Field assistance at Deming Lake was provided by (2000): Waima Azizi, Daniel Budge, Jennifer Dehn, Delaina Hartung, Mary Kosuth, Doug Ludemann, Dana Peltier, and Lizbeth Zaro, and (2001): Nick Altringer, Alina Baum, Annie Felix, Katie Haggblom, Kim Harmon, Erica Hatfield, Katie Johnson, Alison La Pean, Carlee Olson, and Summer Smith. Logistical support was provided by Jon Ross of the Itasca Biological Field Station. This research was funded by an NSERC operating grant to Douglas Chivers and a faculty research grant to Brian Wisenden from the Minnesota State University Moorhead College of Social and Natural Sciences. IACUC protocol number for work in Feedlot Pond was 19920077, issued to Douglas Chivers. IACUC protocol number from the University of Minnesota to Brian Wisenden for use at the Itasca Biological Field Station was 0005A51841, issued to Brian Wisenden.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Biology Department, Minnesota State University Moorhead, 1104 7th Street S, Moorhead, MN 56563, USA

    Brian D. Wisenden

  2. Biology Department, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, S7N 5E2, Canada

    Mike S. Pollock, Robyn J. Tremaine, Jeff M. Webb, Monique E. Wismer & Douglas P. Chivers

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  1. Brian D. Wisenden
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  2. Mike S. Pollock
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  3. Robyn J. Tremaine
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  4. Jeff M. Webb
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  5. Monique E. Wismer
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  6. Douglas P. Chivers
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Correspondence to Brian D. Wisenden.

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Communicated by A. Mathis

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Wisenden, B.D., Pollock, M.S., Tremaine, R.J. et al. Synergistic interactions between chemical alarm cues and the presence of conspecific and heterospecific fish shoals. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 54, 485–490 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00265-003-0653-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00265-003-0653-9

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