| Title: | Field verification of predator attraction to minnow alarm substance |
| Address: | "Biology Department, Minnesota State University, Moorhead 56563, USA. wisenden@mnstate.edu" |
| ISSN/ISBN: | 0098-0331 (Print) 0098-0331 (Linking) |
| Abstract: | "Fishes such as minnows in the superorder Ostariophysi possess specialized alarm substance cells (ASC) that contain an alarm cue. Alarm substance can only be released by damage to the epidermis; thus, the release of alarm substance is a reliable indicator of predation risk. When nearby minnows detect the cue, they adopt a range of antipredator behaviors that reduce their probability of predation. Predator-predator interactions afford prey an opportunity to escape and, thus, a fitness benefit that maintains alarm substance calls over evolutionary time. Here, we present data from a simple field experiment verifying that nearby predators are attracted to minnow alarm substance because it signals an opportunity to pirate a meal. Fishing lures were baited with sponge blocks scented with either (1) water (control for sponge odor and appearance), (2) skin extract from non-ostariophysan convict cichlids (superorder Acanthopterygii, Archocentrus 'Cichlasoma' nigrofasciatus) to control for general injury-released cues from fish, or (3) skin extract from fathead minnows (superorder Ostariophysi, Pimephales promelas). Predator strike frequency on each sponge type was 1, 1, and 7 for water, cichlid, and minnow cues, respectively. These data provide the first field test using fish predators of the predator-attraction hypothesis for the evolution of Ostariophysan alarm substance cells" |
| Keywords: | "Adaptation, Physiological *Animal Communication Animals *Cichlids Cyprinidae/*physiology Pheromones/*pharmacology *Predatory Behavior Skin/chemistry;" |
| Notes: | "MedlineWisenden, Brian D Thiel, Travis A eng Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't 2002/04/02 J Chem Ecol. 2002 Feb; 28(2):433-8. doi: 10.1023/a:1017950628284" |
