Presentation Details
| Rapid Darkening by “Client” Fish Increases the Responsiveness of Cleaner Shrimp Darcy G.Chang1, Alex Karnish1, Stephen G.Ratchford2, Eleanor M.Caves1. 1Brown University, Providence, RI, USA.2University of the Virgin Islands, St.Thomas, VI, USA |
Abstract
Mutualistic partners often exchange signals to decide when, how, and with whom to cooperate. For example, signals mediate marine cleaning interactions, in which cleaners remove and eat ectoparasites from reef fish. In addition to several established cleaner signals, “client” fish will often adopt a darker coloration within seconds of arriving at a cleaning station. It is unclear if and how client darkening affects subsequent cleaning, e.g., as a signal of willingness to cooperate with cleaners. Here, we show that client darkening in situ at cleaning stations of the shrimp Ancylomenes pedersoni in the Virgin Islands correlated with more frequent cleaning and longer cleaning durations. To study the mechanism of this effect, we simulated client darkening in the lab using captive shrimp and found that client model darkness during the interaction, rather than the change itself, increased cleaner responsiveness. Individual shrimp also responded more repeatably to dark models than light models, suggesting that cleaner identity may affect the signal function of client darkening. Ultimately, our work lends insight into how reciprocal signaling maintains an ecologically-important mutualism.
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No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the author.
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