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Benthic fish exhibit more plastic crypsis than non-benthic species in a freshwater spring

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Abstract

Cryptic coloration reduces the ability of predators to detect prey, but the plasticity of this defense varies. Some organisms possess static and permanent cryptic coloration, whereas in other species color changes may be induced. Depending upon the species, induced color changes may be reversible or irreversible. In this study, we examined a subtle, rapid, and reversible crypsis in which small fish exhibit muted changes in brightness to match varying substrates in clear spring water. In the laboratory, we visually measured the changes in brightness, using a ten-point brightness scale, of five abundant small species in our study spring. Two species, Lucania goodei and Heterandria formosa, exhibited no change, but the other three species exhibited changes in brightness to match background brightness. Two species, Gambusia holbrooki and Poecilia latipinna, exhibited only slight shifts, whereas Lucania parva exhibited relatively large shifts in brightness and color pattern—from virtually white to tan interspersed with dark-brown bands. In the field, L. parva also exhibited significant shifts in brightness and color pattern, both when swimming freely and when enclosed in an open-bottomed cage. These results suggest that rapid cryptic changes in brightness may augment other forms of defense in small vulnerable fish.

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Acknowledgments

We thank the Blue Spring State Park, Volusia County, Florida, and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection for their logistical support. We also thank Kelly Jacobi for work on the methodology of the laboratory experiments and Peter May for editing the manuscript. This research was funded in part by a Summer Undergraduate Research Experience (SURE) grant at Stetson University.

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  1. Biology Department, Stetson University, DeLand, FL, 32723, USA

    Serena Cox, Sondra Chandler, Caroline Barron & Kirsten Work

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  1. Serena Cox
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  2. Sondra Chandler
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  3. Caroline Barron
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  4. Kirsten Work
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Correspondence to Kirsten Work.

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Cox, S., Chandler, S., Barron, C. et al. Benthic fish exhibit more plastic crypsis than non-benthic species in a freshwater spring. J Ethol 27, 497–505 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10164-008-0148-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10164-008-0148-2

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