Meeting Abstract
P2.24 Wednesday, Jan. 5 Food and social stress interact to produce long-term effects on behavior, but not hormones, in zebrafish RUIZ, M.*; HITE, R.; MARTINS, E.P.; Indiana University Bloomington; Indiana University Bloomington; Indiana University Bloomington mayruiz@indiana.edu
Food and social interactions are essential components for the proliferation of sexual organisms. Previous studies on sagebrush lizards show that social interactions influence an individual’s behavior and that food availability plays a role in modulating behavior and physiology. Nevertheless, each of these factors has been considered individually, and the interaction between the social environment and food availability may also be important in influencing long-term behavior and physiology. Here, we ask whether (1) food availability, (2) social exposure, and (3) the interaction between food and social stimulus persistently affect behavior and hormones in zebrafish. We manipulated food availability with additional feedings to some fish but not others. We manipulated the social environment with daily mirror (or control cardboard) presentations to the side of each tank. After 10 days of manipulations followed by at least 1 week of acclimation, we conducted behavioral assays to measure latency to feed, activity, boldness and aggression. We furthermore acquired water samples to measure 11-ketotestosterone and cortisol levels. We found a food*mirror interaction effect on latency to feed in males, with males fed less having shorter latency to feed without the mirror treatment but longer latency with the mirror treatment. Mirror treatment additionally enhanced activity levels in male zebrafish. Zebrafish did not differ in aggression as a result of food or mirror manipulation. Nevertheless, males and females differed in behavioral response to manipulations. Hormones levels were not persistently influenced by treatment. Results show social and food treatments to have long-term effects on behavior even without persistent effects on hormones.
