Diet and predation risk affect tissue and excretion nutrients of Trinidadian guppies: a field survey

Eugenia Zandona; Karen E. Sullam; Christopher M. Dalton; Rana W. El-Sabaawi; Susan S. Kilham; Alexander S. Flecker

doi:10.1038/s41598-024-83420-5

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Diet and predation risk affect tissue and excretion nutrients of Trinidadian guppies: a field survey

Journal article

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Diet and predation risk affect tissue and excretion nutrients of Trinidadian guppies: a field survey

Eugenia Zandona, Karen E. Sullam, Christopher M. Dalton, Rana W. El-Sabaawi, Susan S. Kilham and Alexander S. Flecker

Scientific reports, v 14(1), 31923

30 Dec 2024

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-83420-5

PMID: 39738379

Featured in Collection : UN Sustainable Development Goals @ Drexel

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Abstract

Multidisciplinary Sciences

Science & Technology

Science & Technology - Other Topics

Consumers vary in their excretion of nitrogen and phosphorus, altering nutrient cycles and ecosystem function. Traditional mass balance models that focus on dietary and tissue nutrients have poorly explained such variation in excretion. Here, we contrast diet and tissue nutrient models for nutrient excretion with predation risk, an often overlooked factor, using the Trinidadian guppy (Poecilia reticulata) as our model system. We surveyed guppies at 12 sites spread across two streams with parallel gradients in food quality and predation risk. At each site, we assessed guppy diet, tissue nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P) content, and N and P excretion. Predation risk best explained guppy excretion, especially P: guppies excreted less in sites with a dominant predator, while traditional models for excretion rate based on diet quality and tissue nutrients failed to explain it. Guppy tissue N (but not P) most closely correlated with guppy diet quality, showing evidence for flexible homeostasis. Our work extends previous laboratory studies' results to natural streams and shows that predation risk alters feeding behavior and physiology, driving substantial variation in guppy nutrient, particularly P, excretion rates. We suggest that predation risk is an important factor determining nutrient excretion variation, warranting further attention. Our results also show that tissue nutrients and excretion nutrients are decoupled.

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Title: Diet and predation risk affect tissue and excretion nutrients of Trinidadian guppies: a field survey
Creators: Eugenia Zandona (Corresponding Author) - Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro
Karen E. Sullam - Agroscope
Christopher M. Dalton - Cornell University
Rana W. El-Sabaawi - University of Victoria
Susan S. Kilham - Drexel University
Alexander S. Flecker - Cornell University
Publication Details: Scientific reports, v 14(1), 31923
Publisher: Nature Publishing
Number of pages: 9
Grant note: DEB- 1210695 / NSF-Doctoral Dissertation Improvement Grant; National Science Foundation (NSF) Betz Chair Endowment at Drexel University Sigma Xi Grant-in-aid NSF Pre-Doctoral Fellowship; National Science Foundation (NSF) Cornell Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Research Grant DEB 0623632 / NSF FIBR Grant 304792/2022-5 / CNPq; Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Cientifico e Tecnologico (CNPQ) Cornell Sigma Xi Society Prociencia-UERJ Cornell Biogeochemistry and Environmental Biocomplexity Small Grant
Resource Type: Journal article
Language: English
Academic Unit: Biology
Web of Science ID: WOS:001386371600042
Scopus ID: 2-s2.0-85213708242
Other Identifier: 991022202498104721