Predator-induced maternal effects determine adaptive antipredator behaviors via egg composition
Sakshi Sharda, Tobias Zuest, Matthias Erb, Barbara Taborsky
Abstract
Significance In dangerous environments, mothers can prepare their offspring to cope with predation risk. Rapid escape responses such as the characteristic “C-start reflex” of fishes improve survival chances of offspring during predator attacks. We found that mothers exposed to predators during egg maturation, by changes to egg composition, produced offspring with faster C-start reflexes, which is an unequivocal demonstration of an adaptive maternal effect on offspring antipredator behavior. Moreover, compared to the control treatment, eggs of predator-exposed mothers were larger and contained more total protein and resulted in offspring with larger initial body size but reduced expression of a growth gene.