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The development of a novel predator avoidance assay for fathead minnows (Pimephales promelas) across multiple life stages
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2025-06-27
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Within ecotoxicology, there is a growing need to develop assays to evaluate ecologically-relevant behaviors in fish across their lifespan. One class of such behaviors is predator avoidance, which hold importance for fish populations. These behaviors have been documented in adult FHMs but remain poorly understood in larvae. This study aimed to develop an assay to assess predator avoidance behaviors of FHMs across multiple life stages. The objectives were to 1) verify that the use of alarm cue collected from pond-reared donors induced predator avoidance behaviors, as measured via ToxTrac, in adult FHMs, and 2) develop a predator avoidance assay for use in 14 days post-hatch (dph) FHMs using the verified stimulus. Exposure of adult and larval FHMs to pond-reared alarm cue induced significant changes in predator avoidance behaviors, verifying its use as a predator stimulus. Consequently, this study outlines methodology for assessing these behaviors in FHMs across multiple life stages.
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WiseCatherine__thesis.pdf
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- Embargoed until 2027-06-27
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Biology