ABS 2023
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Reproductive allotment affects cognition in the live-bearing Western Mosquitofish
Kyndal B Irwin, Emily M Edgar, Caitlin R Gabor. Texas State University, San Marcos, Texas , United States

In an increasing urbanized world, animals are faced with unprecedent change to freshwater ecosystems. Trade-offs between reproduction and survival is foundational to life history theory, however, a comprehensive understanding of the associations bridging reproduction and cognitive function in fish species remains incomplete. We investigated how reproductive allotment affected cognitive performance and behavior in a live-bearing fish, Gambusia affinis. We tested inhibitory control and risk-taking in a detour test across six populations of a Gambusia affinis from varying degrees of urbanization and habitat complexity. Previously we found that populations of Gambusia affinis from low levels of habitat structural complexity showed greater inhibitory control and greater risk-taking. Our current study presents evidence that motivation, a cognitive trait, is affected by the interaction of habitat structural complexity and reproductive allotment in Gambusia affinis. These results suggest it is important to measure multiple traits in the context of specific habitat characteristics to understand forces affecting cognition and behavior in response to the environmental change.