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Effects of coexistence and predator experience on antipredatory responses of montane amphibian larvae towards native and introduced salmonids

Biological Invasions volume 22, pages 379–390 (2020)Cite this article

Abstract

Amphibian larvae are known to display defensive behavior in response to water borne chemical cues from aquatic predators that they recognize as a threat, either innately or via learning. Such potential for adaptive behavioral plasticity may increase population resilience in montane habitats, where many unique amphibian assemblages have suffered from salmonid introductions. Here we present data from three experiments assessing the effects of coexistence and long-term experience with native and introduced salmonid predators on behavioral responses of larvae from montane populations of the Iberian frog, Rana iberica. Further, we examine the potential costs imposed by natural and exotic predatory threats on larval growth and development. Larvae coexisting both syntopically and allotopically with salmonids reduced activity to avoid detectability. Interestingly, larval activity levels increased and larval responsiveness to predators decreased after long-term exposure to waterborne cues from predatory fish, likely due to habituation. Exposure to predator cues during development did not affect larval growth but altered the timing of metamorphosis by reducing larval period. Although growth is not directly compromised and individuals increase their short-term probabilities to survive with aquatic predators by reaching metamorphosis earlier, they might face the costs of predation-induced responses and developmental acceleration in later life stages.

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Acknowledgements

We thank the editor and two anonymous reviewers for their helpful comments. The Ventorrillo Biological Station (MNCN, CSIC) provided the necessary space and Pedro Rincón assisted with experiments. Experiments were conducted in accordance with guidelines outlined by the Consejería de Medio Ambiente de la Comunidad de Madrid, which provided also permits for field work. The study was funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (MICINN; Grant CGL2010-16285) to L. Boyero and J. Bosch. Additional financial support was provided by the MICINN; Grant CGL2015-68670-R to N. Polo-Cavia.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biology, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain

    Nuria Polo-Cavia

  2. Faculty of Science and Technology, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Bilbao, Spain

    Luz Boyero

  3. IKERBASQUE, Basque Foundation for Science, Bilbao, Spain

    Luz Boyero

  4. Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales-CSIC, Madrid, Spain

    Bárbara Martín-Beyer, Tomás Navazo & Jaime Bosch

  5. Centro de Investigación, Seguimiento y Evaluación, Parque Nacional de la Sierra de Guadarrama, Rascafría, Spain

    Jaime Bosch

  6. Unidad Mixta de Investigación en Biodiversidad (CSIC, UO, PA), Universidad de Oviedo, Campus de Mieres, Mieres, Spain

    Jaime Bosch

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  1. Nuria Polo-Cavia
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Correspondence to Nuria Polo-Cavia.

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Polo-Cavia, N., Boyero, L., Martín-Beyer, B. et al. Effects of coexistence and predator experience on antipredatory responses of montane amphibian larvae towards native and introduced salmonids. Biol Invasions 22, 379–390 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10530-019-02095-6

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Keywords

  • Amphibian larvae
  • Antipredatory behavior
  • Induced defenses
  • Larval development
  • Montane habitats
  • Rana iberica
  • Salmonid predators