Abstract

Pigmentation often signals status and in general melanin-based pigmentation is indicative of aggression and stress resilience in vertebrates. This is evident in the salmonids Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) and rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) where more melanin spotted individuals are more stress resilient. However, in the salmonid Arctic charr (Salvelinus alpinus) it seems as if it is carotenoid-based pigmentation that signals aggression and stress resilience. In our study, social stress effects on carotenoid-based spots, and behavioural and physiological stress responses were investigated. Socially stressed individuals have more spots, and behavioural stress responses were associated with spots. Some of the results concerning physiological stress responses, such as plasma cortisol levels and monoaminergic activity, are associated with spottiness. Further, the earlier proposed lateralization of spots, with left side connected to stress responsiveness and right side to aggression, is to some extent validated although not conclusively. In conclusion, this study provides further evidence that more stressed charr have more carotenoid spots, and for the first time monoaminergic activity is shown to be connected with carotenoid pigmentation. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Keywords

Aggression; Carotenoid pigmentation; Lateralization; Monoamine; Salmonid; Social stress

Published in

Behavioural Brain Research
2015, Volume: 291, pages: 103-107

SLU Authors

• Backström, Tobias

  • Department of Wildlife, Fish and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

• Heynen, Martina

  • Department of Wildlife, Fish and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

• Brännäs, Eva

  • Department of Wildlife, Fish and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

• Nilsson, Jan

  • Department of Wildlife, Fish and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

• Magnhagen, Carin

  • Department of Wildlife, Fish and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

Associated SLU-program

Future Animal Health and Welfare (until Jan 2017)


Sustainable Development Goals

SDG14 Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development


UKÄ Subject classification

Ecology
Fish and Aquacultural Science


Publication identifier

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbr.2015.05.011

Permanent link to this page (URI)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/67391