Data from: You are what you eat: diet-induced chemical crypsis in a coral-feeding reef fish

Full description

Abstract [Related Publication]: The vast majority of research into the mechanisms of camouflage has focused on forms that confound visual perception. However, many organisms primarily interact with their surroundings using chemosensory systems and may have evolved mechanisms to 'blend in' with chemical components of their habitat. One potential mechanism is 'chemical crypsis' via the sequestration of dietary elements, causing a consumer's odour to chemically match that of its prey. Here, we test the potential for chemical crypsis in the coral-feeding filefish, Oxymonacanthus longirostris, by examining olfactory discrimination in obligate coral-dwelling crabs and a predatory cod. The crabs, which inhabit the corals consumed by O. longirostris, were used as a bioassay to determine the effect of coral diet on fish odour. Crabs preferred the odour of filefish fed their preferred coral over the odour of filefish fed a non-preferred coral, suggesting coral-specific dietary elements that influence odour are sequestered. Crabs also exhibited a similar preference for the odour of filefish fed their preferred coral and odour directly from that coral, suggesting a close chemical match. In behavioural trials, predatory cod were less attracted to filefish odour when presented alongside the coral it had been fed on, suggesting diet can reduce detectability. This is, we believe, the first evidence of diet-induced chemical crypsis in a vertebrate.

Data consists of 1 file: Data_RSPB_RMB_etal.xlsx

Dryad data package includes README file for interpretation of data:

Sheet A) crab bioassays

Crab spp.:  Trapezia cymodoce; Tetralia glaberimma

Trial: 1-7

Crab no.: 1-16

Side: L- Left; R- Right; C- Centre

Habitat selected:

Trials 1,2,3,4,6,7: PD- Pocillopora damicornis; AS- Acropora spathulata; NC- No choice

Trial 5: F- Fish; C- Coral; NC- No choice

Key

TrialCrab spp.Odours

1Both        A. spathulata coral odour vs. P. damicornis coral odour

2Both        A. spathulata fish odor vs. P. damicornis fish odour

3Both        A. spathulata fish odour vs.A. spathulata fish odour

4Both        P. damicornis fish odour vs. P. damicornis fish odour

5T. cymodoceP. damicornis coral odour vs. P. damicornis fish odour

5T. glaberimmaA. spathulata coral odour vs.A. spathulata fish odour

6Both        P. damicornis fish odour vs. A. spathulata coral odour

7Both        A. spathulata fish odour vs. P. damicornis coral odour

Sheet B) Predators- activity level

Fish: 21-27

Treatment: 1-6

Key

Treatment   Corals                     Diet of associated fish

1     a) Pocillopora b) Pocillopora   a) Pocillopora b) Pocillopora

2     a) Acropora    b) Acropora     a) Acropora    b) Acropora

3     a) Pocillopora b) Pocillopora   a) Pocillopora b) Acropora

4     a) Acropora    b) Acropora     a) Pocillopora b) Acropora

5     a) No coral    b ) No coral     a) Pocillopora b) Acropora

6     a) Acropora    b) Acropora     a) Pocillopora b) Pocillopora

Note: % data logit-transformed prior to analysis

Sheet C) Predators - detectability

Fish:1-18

Note: only active predators were included in this analysis (i.e. 19-27 excluded)

Key 1

Treatments   Corals                       Diet of associated fish

3      a) Pocillopora  b) Pocillopora   a) Pocillopora   b) Acropora

4      a) Acropora     b) Acropora      a) Pocillopora   b) Acropora

Key 2

A     Proportion of exposed time spent next to fish whose diet differed from associated coral

B     Proportion of exposed time spent next to fish whose diet matched associated coral

C     Proportion of exposed time not next to either fish

The full methodology is available in the publication shown in the Related Publications link below.

Notes

This dataset is available from Dryad in MS Excel (.xlsx) format. Dryad data package: Brooker RM, Munday PL, Chivers DP, Jones GP (2014) Data from: You are what you eat: diet-induced chemical crypsis in a coral-feeding reef fish. Dryad Digital Repository. https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.911p1