Intra-specific recognition behaviour in fishes with special focus on Pheromones in males and female fishes

1. Intra-specific Social Recognition in fishes
via Chemical cues: Effects of Pheromones
on Fish Behavior and Interaction
By:
B. Bhaskar
Ref: Fish Pheromones and related cues edited by PeterW. Sorensen and Brian D.Wisenden. 281P

2. Introduction
• In 1932 Wrede reported that minnows (Phoxinus
phoxinus) were attracted by the mucus of
conspecifics, therefore, providing a basis for the
formation of shoals using chemical cues.
• Scardinius erythrophthalmus that had been
temporarily blinded were able to locate & maintain
proximity to conspecifics on basis of their detection
of chemical cues(Keenleyside,1955).
• Examples of Kin recognition& Kin based behavior
on the basis of chemical cues in fishes: male blue
gill Sunfish, Mozambique tilapia, Midas fish,
cichlids, Eurasian perch, Black pearch, Humbug
damselfish,Atlantic salmon smolts, brook char,

3. Effects of Female Odors on Behaviors of Conspecifics
Family Common
Name of fishes
Substance Noticed Behavior in fish References
Cichlidae Mozambique
tilapia
Males in Isolation
presented with either pre-or
postovulatory females
Male urination frequency significantly increased in
the presence of pre-ovulatory females
Barata et al.(200a)
Cyprinidae Goldfish Males exposed to water
with conc (5*10-10M) 17,
20P
Males that were exposed to 17,20 P for a given time
had higher blood GtH conc than control males
Dulka et
al.(1987:Sorensen
& Stacey(1999)
Cyprinidae Goldfish Female Urinary
Prostaglandins (15K-
PGF2@)
Inited rapid swimming by males rise in spwaning
substrate inspection
Appelt and
Sorensen(2007)
Cyprinidae Crucian carp OvaprimTM &
steroid,17,20 BP
Field study where mature males rised in Lh
lutinizing hormone & stripped milt in response to
injected females
Olsen,Sawisky,an
nd Stacey(2006)
Gasterosteida
e
Brook stickleback CW Males were attracted to the cues from ovulated
conspecific females
McLennan(2004)
Gobiidae Frillfin goby CW & Ovarian fluid Within5-10s of exposure to gravid female
CW(0.5mL) male exploded into courtship. Ovarian
fluid also induced courtship behavior by males. no
responses by females were noted
Tavolga (1956)
Gobiidae Round Goby CW Non reproductive females(NRF) spent significantly
more time near reproductive female CW odors than
to cotnrol odors.
Gammon et
al.(2005)

4. Conti…

5. Effects of Males Odors on Female Behaviors

6. Effects of Males Odors on Female Behaviors
Salmonidae Salvelinus alpinus Arctic char Prostaglandins(PGF2@) Ripefemales were attracted to
odor.odor induced some ripe
females to exhibit digging
(typical spawning behavior
Salmonidae Salmo gairdneri(O.mykiss) Rainbow trout CW Females were attracted to water
from males & to water from
spawning fish

7. Cont…Effects of Male Odors on Female behaviors

8. Effects of pheromones on fish behavior during Male-male
Interactions
Family
Common Name
of fishes
Substance Noticed Behavior in fish References
Blennidae Combtooth blennies Conditioned
water(CW) from
matured ripe non
parental males
ripe non parental males were
strongly attracted to conspecific
courting males,suggesting social
facilitation
Losey (1969)
Cichlidae Mozambique tilapia Resident male
exposed to an
intruder male
Resident males markedly rised
their urination frequency when
acting aggressive, but not when
submissive
Barata et al.(2008a)
Cichlidae Mozambique tilapia 13males,5submissiv
e,7 more dominant
Mean urine volume was lower in
subordinate males than dominant
males, dominant males released
urine in short pulses
Barata et al.(2008a)
Cyprinidae Zebra fish CW Attraction of males to other male
water
Bloom
&Perlmutter(1977)
Gasterosteida
e
Brook Stickleback CW Males were attracted to scent of
territorial males
Mc Lennan(2004)
Gobiidae Round Goby CW No behavioral response by males
to male or female CW
Marentette and
Corkum(2008)
Salmonidae Arctic charr 0.1
nmPGF2@(released
by males)tested in
U-shaped maze
No Behavioral responses
exhibited by males to male or
female CW ripe males and
females(but not non ripe females)
were attracted to odor
Marentette and
Corkum(2008)Sveinss
on and Hara(1995)