Scientists at the University of Bristol have discovered that changes in water conditions interact to affect how Trinidadian guppies protect themselves from predators.
Known stressors, such as increased temperature and reduced visibility, when combined, cause this fish to avoid a predator less, and importantly, form looser protective shoals.
The findings, published today in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B, show guppies’ responses are more affected by the interaction of these stressors than if they acted independently.
Natural habitats are facing mounting environmental challenges due to human activities such as land use changes, exploitation, and climate change.
Lead author Costanza Zanghi from Bristol’s School of Biological Sciences, explained, “Of all the possible environmental parameters that can stress a system, we decided to focus on increased temperature and water turbidity because previous research has shown that visual animals, like most fish, are greatly affected by them.
Guppy fish in warmer water. Credit: Costanza Zanghi
2023-07-04 21:48:04
Original from phys.org