Stunned by a Heatwave: Experimental Heatwaves Alter Juvenile Responsiveness to the Threat of Predation.

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Main Authors: Breedveld, Merel C, Borgheresi, Oliviero, Devigili, Alessandro, Gasparini, Clelia
Format: Artículo científico
Language:en
Published: Ecology and evolution 2025
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author Breedveld, Merel C
Borgheresi, Oliviero
Devigili, Alessandro
Gasparini, Clelia
author_facet Breedveld, Merel C
Borgheresi, Oliviero
Devigili, Alessandro
Gasparini, Clelia
Breedveld, Merel C
Borgheresi, Oliviero
Devigili, Alessandro
Gasparini, Clelia
collection PubMed - marine biology
contents Stunned by a Heatwave: Experimental Heatwaves Alter Juvenile Responsiveness to the Threat of Predation. Breedveld, Merel C Borgheresi, Oliviero Devigili, Alessandro Gasparini, Clelia Heatwaves, increasingly prevalent in our rapidly changing climate, significantly impact animals with far-reaching ecological and evolutionary consequences. One of the first responses in animals to stress, including heat stress, is behavioural change, and this can directly influence fitness and survival. Changes in anti-predator behaviour are particularly critical, as they may compromise a prey's ability to evade predators, thus increasing predation risk and jeopardising survival. In the context of climate change, assessing anti-predator reactions under ecologically relevant heat stress is thus crucial, especially during the vulnerable life stage of development. This study investigated the effects of a heatwave on anti-predator responses in juvenile guppies (). One-month-old guppies were subjected to a 5-day experimental heatwave (32°C) or a control temperature (26°C). After the treatment, all individuals were tested at a common temperature (26°C) for anti-predator behavioural responses and swimming performance, the latter serving as a proxy for physical condition. While heatwave exposure did not affect swimming performance, it significantly altered anti-predator responses. Heatwave-exposed juveniles exhibited a reduced freezing response and faster resumption of normal activity compared to control fish. Our findings demonstrate that heatwaves can modify prey's anti-predator behaviours during critical developmental stages. This suggests that heatwaves may increase predation risk, potentially impacting survival rates and reshaping predator-prey interactions in the face of ongoing climate change.
format Artículo científico
id pubmed_40370341
institution PubMed
language en
publishDate 2025
publisher Ecology and evolution
record_format pubmed
spellingShingle Stunned by a Heatwave: Experimental Heatwaves Alter Juvenile Responsiveness to the Threat of Predation.
Breedveld, Merel C
Borgheresi, Oliviero
Devigili, Alessandro
Gasparini, Clelia
Stunned by a Heatwave: Experimental Heatwaves Alter Juvenile Responsiveness to the Threat of Predation. Breedveld, Merel C Borgheresi, Oliviero Devigili, Alessandro Gasparini, Clelia Heatwaves, increasingly prevalent in our rapidly changing climate, significantly impact animals with far-reaching ecological and evolutionary consequences. One of the first responses in animals to stress, including heat stress, is behavioural change, and this can directly influence fitness and survival. Changes in anti-predator behaviour are particularly critical, as they may compromise a prey's ability to evade predators, thus increasing predation risk and jeopardising survival. In the context of climate change, assessing anti-predator reactions under ecologically relevant heat stress is thus crucial, especially during the vulnerable life stage of development. This study investigated the effects of a heatwave on anti-predator responses in juvenile guppies (). One-month-old guppies were subjected to a 5-day experimental heatwave (32°C) or a control temperature (26°C). After the treatment, all individuals were tested at a common temperature (26°C) for anti-predator behavioural responses and swimming performance, the latter serving as a proxy for physical condition. While heatwave exposure did not affect swimming performance, it significantly altered anti-predator responses. Heatwave-exposed juveniles exhibited a reduced freezing response and faster resumption of normal activity compared to control fish. Our findings demonstrate that heatwaves can modify prey's anti-predator behaviours during critical developmental stages. This suggests that heatwaves may increase predation risk, potentially impacting survival rates and reshaping predator-prey interactions in the face of ongoing climate change.
title Stunned by a Heatwave: Experimental Heatwaves Alter Juvenile Responsiveness to the Threat of Predation.
url https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40370341/