Chemical alarm signaling by reticulate sculpins, Cottus perplexus

The distribution and extent of chemical alarm signaling systems among some families of fishes, including the Cottidae, remains unclear. In laboratory experiments, we tested whether reticulate sculpins, Cottus perplexus, respo nd to chemical alarm signals released by injured conspecifics. Sculpins dec reased movement following exposure to skin extracts from conspecifics, but did not respond to cues of syntopic speckled dace, Rhinichthyes osculus, or allotopic swordtails, Xiphophorous helleri. Additional tests demonstrated that the responses of sculpins to alarm cues were dependent on the hunger l evel of the test fish. Sculpins deprived of food for 2 days failed to respo nd to conspecific alarm cues, however, the same individuals fed to satiatio n did respond to alarm cues.