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. 2020 Feb;96(2):506-515.
doi: 10.1111/jfb.14235. Epub 2020 Jan 6.

Premature birth stunts early growth and is a possible driver of stress-induced maternal effects in the guppy Poecilia reticulata

James Ord  1   2 , Kelle E Holmes  1 , William V Holt  3 , Alireza Fazeli  2   3 , Penelope J Watt  1
Affiliations

Premature birth stunts early growth and is a possible driver of stress-induced maternal effects in the guppy Poecilia reticulata

James Ord et al. J Fish Biol. 2020 Feb.

Abstract

We tested the effects of gestational stress, principally in the form of alarm cue extracted from the skin of conspecifics, on reproduction in female guppies (Poecilia reticulata) and the growth and behaviour of their offspring. Offspring from mothers exposed to alarm cue exhibited stunted growth in the first few days post-partum, which appeared to be mediated by shortening of the gestation period, the length of which directly correlated with growth rate within the first 6 days post-partum. Mature offspring did not differ in behaviour or stress responses compared with controls and so the effects of maternal predation stress did not appear to persist into adulthood. A different form of gestational stress, dietary restriction, did not significantly affect offspring growth, though brood size was reduced, suggesting that the effects of predation stress were not mediated by differences in resource demand or consumption.

Keywords: Poecilia reticulata; alarm cue; behaviour; growth; post-partum; stress.

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References

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