Do Gulf Toadfish Use Pulsatile Urea Excretion to Chemically Communicate Reproductive Status? 2019

Maria C Cartolano, and Phallon Tullis-Joyce, and Kathleen Kubicki, and M Danielle McDonald

Gulf toadfish (Opsanus beta) are exceptionally capable of switching from excreting ammonia as their primary nitrogenous waste to excreting predominantly urea in distinct pulses across the gill. Previous studies suggest that these urea pulses may be used for intraspecific chemical communication. To determine whether pulsatile urea excretion communicates reproductive status, toadfish were sexed using ultrasound and delivered conspecific-conditioned seawater (CC-SW) that previously housed a conspecific of the opposite sex, a conspecific chemical alarm cue (avoidance control), or a prey cue (attraction control). Swim behavior, attraction to or avoidance of the cues, and changes in the pattern of pulsatile urea excretion were monitored during and after delivery. Gulf toadfish did not spend more time in zones that were delivered CC-SW or prey cue. However, male toadfish spent significantly more time swimming after the delivery of female cues than control seawater (SW). In contrast, toadfish did not appear to have an immediate avoidance response to the conspecific alarm cue. Additionally, significantly more toadfish pulsed within 7 h of CC-SW and prey cue delivery compared to control SW, and pulse frequency was 1.6 times greater in response to CC-SW than control SW. These results, in combination with increased urea production and excretion the during breeding season, suggest that toadfish may use pulsatile urea excretion to communicate with conspecifics when exposed to chemosensory cues from the opposite sex.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D008297 Male Males
D002633 Chemotaxis The movement of cells or organisms toward or away from a substance in response to its concentration gradient. Haptotaxis
D003463 Cues Signals for an action; that specific portion of a perceptual field or pattern of stimuli to which a subject has learned to respond. Cue
D003672 Defecation The normal process of elimination of fecal material from the RECTUM. Bowel Function,Bowel Movement,Bowel Functions,Bowel Movements,Defecations
D005260 Female Females
D000818 Animals Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA. Animal,Metazoa,Animalia
D000819 Animal Communication Communication between animals involving the giving off by one individual of some chemical or physical signal, that, on being received by another, influences its behavior. Animal Communications,Communication, Animal,Communications, Animal
D001362 Avoidance Learning A response to a cue that is instrumental in avoiding a noxious experience. Aversion Behavior,Aversion Learning,Aversive Behavior,Aversive Learning,Avoidance Behavior,Aversion Behaviors,Aversive Behaviors,Avoidance Behaviors,Behavior, Aversion,Behavior, Aversive,Behavior, Avoidance,Behaviors, Aversion,Behaviors, Aversive,Behaviors, Avoidance,Learning, Aversion,Learning, Aversive,Learning, Avoidance
D012724 Sex Attractants Pheromones that elicit sexual attraction or mating behavior usually in members of the opposite sex in the same species. Copulins,Pheromones, Sexual,Sex Pheromones,Sexual Pheromone,Sex Attractant,Sex Pheromone,Attractant, Sex,Attractants, Sex,Pheromone, Sex,Pheromone, Sexual,Pheromones, Sex,Sexual Pheromones
D012726 Sexual Behavior, Animal Sexual activities of animals. Mating Behavior, Animal,Sex Behavior, Animal,Animal Mating Behavior,Animal Mating Behaviors,Animal Sex Behavior,Animal Sex Behaviors,Animal Sexual Behavior,Animal Sexual Behaviors,Mating Behaviors, Animal,Sex Behaviors, Animal,Sexual Behaviors, Animal

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