Nutritional state - a survival kit for brooding pipefish fathers

作者：Sagebakken Gry; Kvarnemo Charlotta; Ahnesjo Ingrid^*

来源：Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2017, 121(2): 312-318.

DOI：10.1093/biolinnean/blx002

• brood reduction
• condition
• embryo mortality
• immunity
• parental care
• Syngnathidae
• Syngnathus typhle

A parent's nutritional state may influence its ability to provide care to offspring and ability to handle infections. In the broad-nosed pipefish, Syngnathus typhle, males care for their offspring by brooding the developing embryos in a brood pouch, providing nutrients and oxygen, resembling a pregnancy. Here, we demonstrate that the nutritional state of pregnant males covaries with their own survival during a selective event. Brooding males surviving a Vibrio sp. infection were in a significantly better nutritional state, as estimated by their hepatosomatic index. Furthermore, a higher nutritional state of the brooding male correlated with a lower embryo mortality, while feeding treatment (low vs. high) had no effect on male survival, nutritional state or embryo mortality. Finally, males brooding heavier embryos also showed a lower embryo mortality. This may reflect a maternal effect (if large eggs result in higher embryo survival), a paternal effect (if higher provisioning of male care promotes both embryo growth and survival), or a combination thereof (males caring more for large embryos). The results demonstrate the importance of a good nutritional state for a caring parent when their immunity is challenged.

• 出版日期2017-6-1