Dp. Chivers et Rjf. Smith, CHEMICAL RECOGNITION OF RISKY HABITATS IS CULTURALLY TRANSMITTED AMONG FATHEAD MINNOWS, PIMEPHALES-PROMELAS (OSTEICHTHYES, CYPRINIDAE), Ethology, 99(4), 1995, pp. 286-296
Fathead minnows (Pimephales promelas) have an alarm substance (AS), or
'Schreckstoff', in epidermal club cells. Mechanical damage to the ski
n, as caused by a predator attack, releases the AS. The area in which
conspecifics detect AS may be considered dangerous or risky because of
the high probability of a subsequent predator attack. We exposed fath
ead minnows to water from one of two habitats (an open-water site and
a vegetated-cover site) that we mixed with either AS or a distilled wa
ter control. Upon subsequent exposure to water from these habitats alo
ne, minnows showed an antipredator response to the water they experien
ced in conjunction with AS, but not to water they received in conjunct
ion with the distilled water control. These results confirmed that min
nows can be conditioned with AS to recognize chemical cues from high-r
isk habitats. Naive minnows present during the fright response of cond
itioned minnows also exhibited antipredator behaviour, and subsequentl
y responded when tested alone. Our results demonstrate that learned re
cognition of high-risk habitats can be transmitted culturally, which m
ay allow minnows to lower their risk of predation.