Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Nicola Rivers, Jonathan Daly, Robert Jones, Peter D. Currie, Peter Temple-Smith
Summary: Freshwater fish populations are declining globally, and many small Australian fish species may face extinction within the next twenty years. Cryopreservation of reproductive cells and tissues allows for the possibility of reproducing individuals even after a species becomes extinct in the wild. Researchers have successfully developed a cryopreservation protocol for the ovarian tissue of the Murray River Rainbowfish, which can serve as a model for the conservation of other fish species in Australia and worldwide.
Article
Biology
Adam L. L. Crane, Gabrielle H. H. Achtymichuk, Ita A. E. Rivera-Hernandez, Alexyz A. A. Pregola, Himal Thapa, Maud C. O. Ferrari
Summary: As information ages, it becomes less accurate and increases uncertainty for decision makers. This study explores how the uncertainty associated with older information affects the retention of learned responses. The results show that wood frog tadpoles can learn to recognize predators based on aged chemical alarm cues, but only those conditioned with fresh cues retain this learned response in the long term.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Douglas P. Chivers, Mark I. McCormick, Eric P. Fakan, Jake W. Edmiston, Maud C. O. Ferrari
Summary: In degraded coral reef environments, Whitetail damselfish are able to learn to classify Moonwrasse as a non-predator through latent inhibition, but this recognition is dramatically altered in dead coral habitats. Changing background odors in different water sources pose a cognitive challenge for prey to learn non-predator identities separately, with significant survival consequences in a changing environment.
FUNCTIONAL ECOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Brian D. Wisenden, Cody M. Anderson, Kathryn A. Hanson, Molly I. M. Johnson, Craig A. Stockwell
Summary: This study found that both Shoshone pupfish and Amargosa River pupfish respond to conspecific chemical alarm cues by reducing activity and changing their vertical position in the water column. The experiments also demonstrated that pupfish can recognize a novel predator through exposure to epidermal alarm cues, which is the first report of acquired predator recognition in pupfish. These findings have potential implications for the management and conservation of endangered desert fishes.
ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Fisheries
Yiqing Ren, Chunqiu Wang, Hao Wang, Qingqi Chang, Dongqiu Guo, Xia Wang
Summary: This study demonstrates that PLEKHF2 is an antibacterial protein capable of recognizing and killing bacteria.
FISH & SHELLFISH IMMUNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Gustavo D. A. Gastal, Dragos Scarlet, Maria Melchert, Reinhard Ertl, Christine Aurich
Summary: In embryos created through assisted reproductive techniques, changes in gene expression and DNA methylation due to storage temperature differences may impact embryonic development and viability after transfer. This study demonstrates alterations in gene expression and methylation levels of stored horse embryos compared to fresh embryos, highlighting potential risks of compromising embryo development following short-term storage, regardless of temperature.
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Yingtong Wu, Anna L. Petrosky, Nicolas A. Hazzi, Rebecca Lynn Woodward, Luis Sandoval
Summary: This study examined the recognition of distress calls by tropical rainforest birds, finding that acoustic similarity, learning, and phylogenetic relatedness play important roles in distress call recognition. Familiarity, acoustic similarity, and phylogenetic relatedness all contribute to how birds respond to distress calls.
Article
Biology
Birgit Szabo, Rosanna Mangione, Matthias Rath, Andrius Pasukonis, Stephan A. Reber, Jinook Oh, Max Ringler, Eva Ringler
Summary: Successful detection of potential predators and appropriate response behaviors are crucial for animal juveniles to survive until reproduction. This study found that Neotropical poison frog tadpoles can innately recognize and effectively avoid some predators using multi-modal signals, with visual cues influencing tadpole activity.
JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Giovanni Polverino, Vrishin R. Soman, Mert Karakaya, Clelia Gasparini, Jonathan P. Evans, Maurizio Porfiri
Summary: Invasive species pose a threat to biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. Researchers have used an innovative experimental approach to show that brief exposure to a robotic predator alters mosquitofish behavior, increasing fear and stress responses, and mitigates its impact on native tadpoles. The effects of predation risk from the robot persist for weeks, resulting in weight loss, body shape variation, and reduced fertility in mosquitofish.
Article
Zoology
Irene Fernandez-Rodriguez, Florentino Brana
Summary: The experiment showed that tailless wall lizards tend to perform behaviors with antipredatory significance and spend more time basking to enhance their cryptic design when compared to tailed individuals. Additionally, both tailed and tailless lizards intensified certain antipredator behaviors when exposed to snake scent, indicating their ability to discriminate the smell of predatory snakes.
JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL ZOOLOGY PART A-ECOLOGICAL AND INTEGRATIVE PHYSIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Maria E. Ocasio-Torres, Todd A. Crowl, Alberto M. Sabat
Summary: The study found that amphidromous shrimp Xiphocaris elongata responds differently to chemical and visual cues from predators, with a significant decrease in foraging behavior when multiple cues are presented simultaneously. This suggests a multimodal signal enhancement in perceiving threat, which is evolutionarily advantageous in noisy environments like streams.
Article
Ecology
Katerina Antonova, Petr Vesely, Roman Fuchs
Summary: The study found that birds use contextual features to evaluate the size of other birds and that distance and familiar reference points seem to play an important part in this process.
BMC ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Ilse Lorena Vargas-Vargas, Estefany Perez-Hernandez, Daniel Gonzalez, Marcos Francisco Rosetti, Jorge Contreras-Galindo, Gabriel Roldan-Roldan
Summary: This study represents the first description of allocentric spatial long-term memory in a terrestrial hermit crab, showing that the Pacific hermit crab is able to learn the location of a reward using visual and olfactory cues, and retain this memory for up to 7 days.
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Hailey Shannon, Dylan Kutz, Matthew Persons
Summary: The study found that predator cues of wolf spiders may affect spiderling antipredator behavior either through prenatal exposure or modification of the mother's behavior prior to eclosion, but mother substrate preference did not influence spiderling distribution during dispersal.
Article
Neurosciences
N. D. Antonson, M. Rivera, M. Abolins-Abols, S. Kleindorfer, W-C Liu, M. E. Hauber
Summary: Early exposure to familiar sounds can shape social behaviors in birds, with different chronic acoustic playbacks altering genome-wide methylation. Immediate early gene activation in response to different types of songs is negatively correlated with methylation extent, indicating a neuroepigenomic mechanism for the impacts of early acoustic experiences in songbirds.
NEUROSCIENCE LETTERS
(2021)
Article
Fisheries
Nathan Charles Bass, Joanna Day, Tristan L. Guttridge, Nathan A. Knott, Culum Brown
Summary: The residency and movements of a single acoustically tagged female crested horn shark were monitored in Jervis Bay, Australia. The individual showed a preference for particular rocky reefs and exhibited different movement patterns compared to the well-studied Port Jackson shark. This highlights the need for further research into the basic life history and movement ecology of the crested horn shark.
JOURNAL OF FISH BIOLOGY
(2022)
Book Review
Ecology
Culum Brown
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Iestyn L. Penry-Williams, Culum Brown, Christos C. Ioannou
Summary: This study assessed the consistency of different methodologies in investigating lateralisation in fish and found that detour assays produced consistent results in terms of relative lateralisation, but differed in terms of absolute laterality. The mirror maze assay did not show any similarity to the detour assays. Additionally, the study found that reducing the number of turns in a detour assay exaggerated lateralisation indexes. The results suggest the need to increase the number of observed turning choices to minimize the influence of random chance or external factors on lateralisation indexes.
BEHAVIORAL ECOLOGY AND SOCIOBIOLOGY
(2022)
Editorial Material
Environmental Sciences
David M. P. Jacoby, Culum Brown, Darren P. Croft, Janet Mann, Johann Mourier
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Robert J. Y. Perryman, Johann Mourier, Stephanie K. Venables, Ricardo F. Tapilatu, Edy Setyawan, Culum Brown
Summary: This study investigated the site visit patterns and social affiliations of reef manta rays using passive acoustic telemetry and network-based analyses. The results revealed that social affiliations were classified into stable spatial communities and interindividual variability in detection profiles was correlated with social network metrics. These findings highlight the interconnectedness of movement, habitat preferences, and social relationships in reef manta rays.
Article
Ecology
Vinay Udyawer, Charlie Huveneers, Fabrice Jaine, Russell C. Babcock, Stephanie Brodie, Marie-Jeanne Buscot, Hamish A. Campbell, Robert G. Harcourt, Xavier Hoenner, Elodie J. I. Ledee, Colin A. Simpfendorfer, Matthew D. Taylor, Asia Armstrong, Adam Barnett, Culum Brown, Barry Bruce, Paul A. Butcher, Gwenael Cadiou, Lydie I. E. Couturier, Leanne Currey-Randall, Michael Drew, Christine L. Dudgeon, Ross G. Dwyer, Mario Espinoza, Luciana C. Ferreira, Anthony Fowler, David Harasti, Alastair R. Harborne, Nathan A. Knott, Kate Lee, Matt Lloyd, Michael Lowry, Teagan Marzullo, Jordan Matley, Jaime D. McAllister, Rory McAuley, Frazer McGregor, Mark Meekan, Kade Mills, Bradley M. Norman, Beverly Oh, Nicholas L. Payne, Vic Peddemors, Toby Piddocke, Richard D. Pillans, Richard D. Reina, Paul Rogers, Jayson M. Semmens, Amy Smoothey, Conrad W. Speed, Dylan van der Meulen, Michelle R. Heupel
Summary: A study found that ectothermic marine species exhibit allometric scaling for activity space, although the relationship is weaker compared to terrestrial species. Body mass alone can only explain 35% of the variation, with trophic position and latitude being stronger predictors for marine species. The study highlights the importance of using large-scale animal biotelemetry networks to address evolutionary and ecological questions across different taxa.
AMERICAN NATURALIST
(2023)
Review
Behavioral Sciences
Culum Brown, Vera Schluessel
Summary: 450 million years of evolution have allowed chondrichthyans to adapt to their everyday life challenges and cognitive abilities have played a vital role in that process. Recent cognitive assessments suggest that sharks and rays are on par with most other vertebrates in terms of cognition. While advancements have been made in understanding their behavior, the underlying neural substrates involved in cognitive information processing remain largely unknown. Understanding shark cognition has practical benefits for welfare and conservation management, but gaps in knowledge still exist.
Article
Fisheries
Joni Pini-Fitzsimmons, Nathan A. Knott, Culum Brown
Summary: This study found that waste discarding by recreational anglers provides a predictable food subsidy for scavengers, and the movements of smooth stingrays were influenced by these discard practices. Understanding these behavioral responses is crucial for managing waste discarding in recreational fishing.
MARINE AND FRESHWATER RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Fisheries
N. C. Bass, N. E. Hussey, C. Brown
Summary: Using stable-isotope analysis and acoustic telemetry, researchers identified different movement strategies and habitat selection in Port Jackson sharks. Migrating males and females may utilize different geographical areas or niches during the non-breeding season. These variable movement strategies may have different reproductive fitness advantages on an individual and population level, with implications for the broader marine ecosystem.
MARINE AND FRESHWATER RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Fisheries
Joni Pini-Fitzsimmons, Vincent Raoult, Troy Gaston, Nathan A. Knott, Culum Brown
Summary: This study provides a preliminary assessment of the diet of smooth stingrays provisioned with recreational fishing discards and baits in southern New South Wales, Australia. The results suggest that smooth stingrays have either lower reliance on invertebrates or higher reliance on teleost fishes than previously thought.
JOURNAL OF FISH BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Dennis D. U. Heinrich, Felicie Dhellemmes, Culum Brown, Charlie Huveneers
Summary: Endogenous circadian clocks coordinate temporal behavioral aspects in animals, including daily foraging timing. Time-place learning abilities have been demonstrated in teleosts but not yet in chondrichthyans. Investigating time-place learning in sharks will help us understand the impact of anthropogenic factors on their behavior.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Karl Moy, Jason Schaffer, Michael P. Hammer, Catherine R. M. Attard, Luciano B. Beheregaray, Richard Duncan, Mark Lintermans, Culum Brown, Peter J. Unmack
Summary: The study explores the threat of translocating species on freshwater fish biodiversity and presents a successful case of conserving Running River rainbowfish. By captive-breeding wild fish and translocating them to unoccupied habitats, two populations of Running River rainbowfish were established, but challenges of predation and release timing remain. This provides valuable insights for similar conservation programs involving short-lived fish species.
AQUATIC CONSERVATION-MARINE AND FRESHWATER ECOSYSTEMS
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Peyton A. Thomas, Emily E. Peele, Kara E. Yopak, Culum Brown, Charlie Huveneers, Connor R. Gervais, Stephen T. Kinsey
Summary: Despite regional variations, juvenile Port Jackson sharks showed limited acclimatory potential to alter muscle metabolic features under a temperature increase, potentially making this species vulnerable to climate change, as indicated by the study on their skeletal muscle tissue morphological features.
COMPARATIVE BIOCHEMISTRY AND PHYSIOLOGY A-MOLECULAR & INTEGRATIVE PHYSIOLOGY
(2023)
Review
Fisheries
T. P. Stelling-Wood, P. E. Gribben, G. Birch, M. J. Bishop, C. Blount, D. J. Booth, C. Brown, E. Bruce, A. B. Bugnot, M. Byrne, R. G. Creese, K. A. Dafforn, J. Dahlenburg, M. A. Doblin, T. E. Fellowes, A. M. Fowler, M. C. Gibbs, W. Glamore, T. M. Glasby, A. C. Hay, B. Kelaher, N. A. Knott, A. W. D. Larkum, L. M. Parker, E. M. Marzinelli, M. Mayer-Pinto, B. Morgan, S. A. Murray, M. J. Rees, P. M. Ross, M. Roughan, N. Saintilan, E. Scanes, J. R. Seymour, N. Schaefer, I. M. Suthers, M. D. Taylor, J. E. Williamson, A. Vila Concejo, R. J. Whittington, W. F. Figueira
Summary: By systematically reviewing published literature and traditional ecological knowledge, this review highlights the extensive amount of knowledge that exists for Gamay, but also identifies key gaps that need to be filled for effective management.
MARINE AND FRESHWATER RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Psychology, Multidisciplinary
Flavia Berlinghieri, Nils Jansen, Bernd Riedstra, Culum Brown, Ton G. G. Groothuis
Summary: Several factors, such as hormones and light exposure, affect the development of lateralization. The study manipulated laterality by exposing embryos to light or darkness and examined the association between a shift in laterality and behavior in a novel environment test. It was found that light exposure influenced early development of laterality, but this bias was lost by 3 months of age. The study suggests that light exposure during early development can influence laterality and provides a useful tool for future research on the causes and consequences of laterality.
