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journal article PREDATION-IMPOSED SELECTION ON THREESPINE STICKLEBACK (GASTEROSTEUS ACULEATUS) MORPHOLOGY: A TEST OF THE REFUGE USE HYPOTHESISEvolution Vol. 65, No. 10 (OCTOBER 2011) , pp. 2916-2926 (11 pages) Published By: Society for the Study of Evolution https://www.jstor.org/stable/41240877 Read and download Log in through your school or library Alternate access options For independent researchers Read Online Read 100 articles/month free Subscribe to JPASS Unlimited reading + 10 downloads Purchase article $4.00 - Download now and later Abstract The transition from marine to freshwater life in the threespine stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus) is accompanied by complex morphological changes—including reduction in bony armor and change in body shape—but experimental evidence for the selective agents behind these evolutionary transitions is sparse. We investigated whether selection by predatory fish affects threespine stickleback morphology differentially when refuge is absent (pelagic lifestyle—ancestral condition) or present (benthic lifestyle—derived condition). Our results show that selection favors low numbers of lateral plates in habitats with refuge, whereas fully plated individuals have a selective advantage in habitats without refuge. We also found that a decrease in the length of the caudal peduncle increased survival probability, irrespective of habitat. The effect of spine lengths on survival was evident only in a multivariate analysis of selection, implying that it is essential to account for phenotypic and genetic correlations between traits before drawing conclusions about the effects of selection on single traits. Apart from uncovering targets and patterns of predator-induced selection on threespine stickleback morphology, our results provide direct evidence to support the hypothesis that differences in antipredator strategies in pelagic versus benthic sticklebacks could play a role in the repeated, independent cases of plate number reduction following freshwater colonization in this species. Journal Information Evolution, published for the Society for the Study of Evolution, is the premier publication devoted to the study of organic evolution and the integration of the various fields of science concerned with evolution. The journal presents significant and original results that extend our understanding of evolutionary phenomena and processes. Rights & Usage This item is part of a JSTOR Collection. SCIENTIFIC NAME Gasterosteus aculeatus TAXONOMY PHYLUM: Chordata CLASS: Actinopterygii ORDER: Gasterosteiformes FAMILY: Gasterosteidae General description Credit: hailshadow/Getty Three-spined sticklebacks are small bony fish that have prominent spines for protection against predators. The fish occupies widespread habitats and can be found in both marine and freshwater parts of the Northern hemisphere1. Since the end of the last Ice Age, marine sticklebacks have colonized many new freshwater lakes and streams in formerly glaciated regions. This recent adaptation in response to dramatic ecological change has recurred in many locations within 10-20,000,000 years. Because the stickleback has undergone repeated adaptation to divergent marine-freshwater environments, the species exhibits multiple examples of parallel evolution1. HusbandrySticklebacks are normally found in cool northern environments covering a range of pH and salinities. Wild fish use a paternal care system, with males building nests, recruiting females, fertilizing external clutches of a few dozen to several hundred eggs, and fanning eggs during the week or so before hatching. In the laboratory, both marine and freshwater fish can be raised from eggs to fertile adults in 6 to 12 months at temperatures of 16–18 °C, a salinity of 3.5 parts per thousand (55,00-60,000 μS), and pH between 6.5 and 7.5. Since wild fish occupy a wide range of environments, many populations can likely tolerate parameters outside of these ranges. In laboratory settings, in vitro fertilization can be used to replace natural matings and overcome reproductive barriers between populations. Housing density is partly dependent upon the system's filtration efficiency, but a useful rule of thumb is 2 cm of fish per liter of water. Possible laboratory diets include Daphnia, brine shrimp, mysis shrimp, and bloodworms. Detailed descriptions of common husbandry procedures for sticklebacks are available (https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Jeffrey_Divino/publication/280076726_Juvenile_Threespine_Stickleback_Husbandry_Standard_Operating_Procedures_of_the_Schultz_Lab/links/55a67ea508ae410caa74d8f0.pdf). Research résuméScientists have selected three-spined stickleback as a model for ecological and genetics research in part because the species has undergone one of the most recent and dramatic evolutionary radiations on earth. Different forms show striking changes in size, body armor, teeth, craniofacial structures, dorsal spines, pelvic development, pigmentation, salt handling, parasite resistance, social and reproductive behavior, and many life history traits1. Despite these major morphological and physiological differences, many recently evolved populations can still be crossed, making it possible to map particular chromosome regions that control interesting phenotypic differences2. The three-spined stickleback genome has been sequenced, facilitating the study of chromosome regions and genes that contribute to phenotypic differences3. Researchers have also developed methods for adding and removing genes in sticklebacks, making it possible to transfer traits and confirm the effects of particular genes and mutations2. The diversity of fossil and living stickleback populations adds to the value of these fish as an evolutionary, ecological, and environmental model4. Interactions between fish and other organisms can be studied in a range of environments, ranging from laboratory aquaria, artificial ponds, common garden experiments, or natural lakes and streams followed over time5. Host-parasite interactions have been studied in sticklebacks since they possess a well-documented parasite fauna, and different populations show marked variation in parasite susceptibility6. The stickleback is also an emerging model for environmental biomonitoring, with wide distribution as a native species, simple DNA markers for molecular sex determination, clear biomarkers for exposure to androgens and endocrine-disrupting chemicals, and reports of intersex fish7. References
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Rights and permissionsAbout this articleCite this articleHeng, K., Thompson, A., Chu, D. et al. Three cheers for the three-spined stickleback. Lab Anim 45, 421 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1038/laban.1142 Download citation
Do marine sticklebacks have spines?Sticklebacks in marine environments typically have long spines that form part of their skeletal armor. Many derived freshwater populations have evolved shorter spines.
How does the stickleback armor protect the fish from some predators?Stickleback fish develop bony plates on their surface to protect themselves from predators. The extent and pattern of their bony armor depends on their habitat: marine sticklebacks are typically covered from head to tail with bony plates, but freshwater sticklebacks retain only a few plates on their sides.
What is the purpose of the spines of sticklebacks?The many stickleback populations underwent disparate and parallel evolutionary changes, among them partial or complete loss of their pelvic spines. These spines are thought to protect the fish from being devoured by predators.
What armor do stickleback fish have?Sticklebacks lack scales. Instead, most have body armor that is believed to protect threespine sticklebacks against predatory fish. The armor--made of more than 30 bony plates on each side--extends from just behind the head to the tail on threespine sticklebacks.
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Do marine stickleback fish have bony armor and spines to protect them from predators?
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