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Pollution-induced behavioural effects in the brown bullhead (Ameiurus nebulosus)

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Abstract

Aquatic ecosystems are major sinks for pollutants which can have adverse effects on biodiversity. Thus, it is important to understand the nature of pollution-induced change in aquatic ecosystems. We show that brown bullheads (Ameiurus nebulosus) may have evolved in response to chronic pollution exposure. We collected adults from the Detroit River (polluted site) and Belle River (control site). Both adults and common-garden raised juveniles were tested for aggression, locomotion, and escape response using consecutive unchallenged (clean) and challenged (polluted) trials. Detroit River fish were more aggressive than Belle River fish when challenged. Furthermore, Belle River fish showed increased locomotion when exposed to pollutants, whereas Detroit River fish were unaffected. The consistent difference in adult and juvenile behaviour across trials suggests a genetic response to pollution. Escape response on the other hand, showed inter-population differences, but no consistency between adults and juveniles, indicating that this behaviour is influenced by non-genetic factors. We discuss our data with respect to the potential adaptation of populations to pollution and the implications for prioritizing remediation efforts.

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Acknowledgements

We thank T. Leadley, L. Soderberg, M. Farwell, C. Beneteau, L. Crawford, and T. Pitcher for their help in the field. We also thank S. Colborne, L. Crawford, M. Evans, S. Garner, T. Hain, D. Heath, J. Van Zwol, and two anonymous reviewers for their comments on the manuscript. This work was funded by an NSERC Strategic Project Grant and the University of Western Ontario.

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  1. Department of Biology, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, N6A 5B7, Canada

    Ross D. Breckels & Bryan D. Neff

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  1. Ross D. Breckels
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Correspondence to Bryan D. Neff.

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Breckels, R.D., Neff, B.D. Pollution-induced behavioural effects in the brown bullhead (Ameiurus nebulosus). Ecotoxicology 19, 1337–1346 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10646-010-0520-1

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