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Antipredator phenotype in crucian carp altered by a psychoactive drug

Vinterstare, Jerker LU orcid ; Brönmark, Christer LU ; Nilsson, P. Anders LU orcid ; Langerhans, R. Brian ; Berglund, Olof LU ; Örjes, Jennie ; Brodin, Tomas ; Fick, Jerker and Hulthén, Kaj LU (2021) In Ecology and Evolution 11(14). p.9435-9446
Abstract

Predator-inducible defenses constitute a widespread form of adaptive phenotypic plasticity, and such defenses have recently been suggested linked with the neuroendocrine system. The neuroendocrine system is a target of endocrine disruptors, such as psychoactive pharmaceuticals, which are common aquatic contaminants. We hypothesized that exposure to an antidepressant pollutant, fluoxetine, influences the physiological stress response in our model species, crucian carp, affecting its behavioral and morphological responses to predation threat. We examined short- and long-term effects of fluoxetine and predator exposure on behavior and morphology in crucian carp. Seventeen days of exposure to a high dose of fluoxetine (100 µg/L) resulted in... (More)

Predator-inducible defenses constitute a widespread form of adaptive phenotypic plasticity, and such defenses have recently been suggested linked with the neuroendocrine system. The neuroendocrine system is a target of endocrine disruptors, such as psychoactive pharmaceuticals, which are common aquatic contaminants. We hypothesized that exposure to an antidepressant pollutant, fluoxetine, influences the physiological stress response in our model species, crucian carp, affecting its behavioral and morphological responses to predation threat. We examined short- and long-term effects of fluoxetine and predator exposure on behavior and morphology in crucian carp. Seventeen days of exposure to a high dose of fluoxetine (100 µg/L) resulted in a shyer phenotype, regardless of the presence/absence of a pike predator, but this effect disappeared after long-term exposure. Fluoxetine effects on morphological plasticity were context-dependent as a low dose (1 µg/L) only influenced crucian carp body shape in pike presence. A high dose of fluoxetine strongly influenced body shape regardless of predator treatment. Our results highlight that environmental pollution by pharmaceuticals could disrupt physiological regulation of ecologically important inducible defenses.

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author
; ; ; ; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
antipredator traits, inducible defenses, phenotypic plasticity, psychoactive drugs, serotonergic system, SSRI
in
Ecology and Evolution
volume
11
issue
14
pages
12 pages
publisher
Wiley-Blackwell
external identifiers
  • scopus:85107727079
  • pmid:34306633
ISSN
2045-7758
DOI
10.1002/ece3.7762
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
54aad554-6442-4ae4-b203-8a5c02ec1e4e
date added to LUP
2021-08-04 14:57:14
date last changed
2025-01-13 10:50:02
@article{54aad554-6442-4ae4-b203-8a5c02ec1e4e,
  abstract     = {{<p>Predator-inducible defenses constitute a widespread form of adaptive phenotypic plasticity, and such defenses have recently been suggested linked with the neuroendocrine system. The neuroendocrine system is a target of endocrine disruptors, such as psychoactive pharmaceuticals, which are common aquatic contaminants. We hypothesized that exposure to an antidepressant pollutant, fluoxetine, influences the physiological stress response in our model species, crucian carp, affecting its behavioral and morphological responses to predation threat. We examined short- and long-term effects of fluoxetine and predator exposure on behavior and morphology in crucian carp. Seventeen days of exposure to a high dose of fluoxetine (100 µg/L) resulted in a shyer phenotype, regardless of the presence/absence of a pike predator, but this effect disappeared after long-term exposure. Fluoxetine effects on morphological plasticity were context-dependent as a low dose (1 µg/L) only influenced crucian carp body shape in pike presence. A high dose of fluoxetine strongly influenced body shape regardless of predator treatment. Our results highlight that environmental pollution by pharmaceuticals could disrupt physiological regulation of ecologically important inducible defenses.</p>}},
  author       = {{Vinterstare, Jerker and Brönmark, Christer and Nilsson, P. Anders and Langerhans, R. Brian and Berglund, Olof and Örjes, Jennie and Brodin, Tomas and Fick, Jerker and Hulthén, Kaj}},
  issn         = {{2045-7758}},
  keywords     = {{antipredator traits; inducible defenses; phenotypic plasticity; psychoactive drugs; serotonergic system; SSRI}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{07}},
  number       = {{14}},
  pages        = {{9435--9446}},
  publisher    = {{Wiley-Blackwell}},
  series       = {{Ecology and Evolution}},
  title        = {{Antipredator phenotype in crucian carp altered by a psychoactive drug}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/ece3.7762}},
  doi          = {{10.1002/ece3.7762}},
  volume       = {{11}},
  year         = {{2021}},
}