Zebrafish embryos hatch early in response to chemical and mechanical indicators of predation risk, resulting in underdeveloped swimming ability of hatchling larvae.

ABSTRACT: Plasticity in hatching time allows embryos to maximize fitness by balancing the benefits and costs of remaining bound within the chorion against the benefits and costs of emerging as a free-swimming larva. Here, in the first experiment, we exposed zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryos to either chemical cues from crushed embryos (simulating egg predation) or to blank water control. Embryos exposed to alarm cues hatched sooner, and had shorter body lengths and underdeveloped fins, relative to larvae from the water treatment. Burst swimming speed was significantly slower for larvae that hatched from the alarm cue treatment than for larvae from the water treatment. In a second 2×2 experiment, we exposed zebrafish embryos to either chemical alarm cues from conspecific embryos, mechanical disturbance

SUBMITTER: Wisenden BD 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9732867 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature