In:
PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science (PLoS), Vol. 18, No. 6 ( 2023-6-28), p. e0286570-
Abstract:
Mass coral bleaching events coupled with local stressors have caused regional-scale loss of corals on reefs globally. Following the loss of corals, the structural complexity of these habitats is often reduced. By providing shelter, obscuring visual information, or physically impeding predators, habitat complexity can influence predation risk and the perception of risk by prey. Yet little is known on how habitat complexity and risk assessment interact to influence predator-prey interactions. To better understand how prey’s perception of threats may shift in degraded ecosystems, we reared juvenile Pomacentrus chrysurus in environments of various habitat complexity levels and then exposed them to olfactory risk odours before simulating a predator strike. We found that the fast-start escape responses were enhanced when forewarned with olfactory cues of a predator and in environments of increasing complexity. However, no interaction between complexity and olfactory cues was observed in escape responses. To ascertain if the mechanisms used to modify these escape responses were facilitated through hormonal pathways, we conducted whole-body cortisol analysis. Cortisol concentrations interacted with habitat complexity and risk odours, such that P . chrysurus exhibited elevated cortisol levels when forewarned with predator odours, but only when complexity levels were low. Our study suggests that as complexity is lost, prey may more appropriately assess predation risk, likely as a result of receiving additional visual information. Prey’s ability to modify their responses depending on the environmental context suggests that they may be able to partly alleviate the risk of increased predator-prey interactions as structural complexity is reduced.
Type of Medium:
Online Resource
ISSN:
1932-6203
DOI:
10.1371/journal.pone.0286570
DOI:
10.1371/journal.pone.0286570.g001
DOI:
10.1371/journal.pone.0286570.g002
DOI:
10.1371/journal.pone.0286570.g003
DOI:
10.1371/journal.pone.0286570.t001
DOI:
10.1371/journal.pone.0286570.t002
DOI:
10.1371/journal.pone.0286570.s001
DOI:
10.1371/journal.pone.0286570.s002
DOI:
10.1371/journal.pone.0286570.s003
DOI:
10.1371/journal.pone.0286570.s004
DOI:
10.1371/journal.pone.0286570.s005
Language:
English
Publisher:
Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Publication Date:
2023
detail.hit.zdb_id:
2267670-3
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