Hormonal Regulation of Parental Care Behavior in Nesting Male Bluegills: Do the Effects of Bromocriptine Suggest a Role for Prolactin?

The hormonal mechanisms underlying parental care behavior in fish are poorly understood. This study investigates the effects of bromocriptine, a specific dopamine receptor agonist that inhibits secretion of prolactin from the pituitary, on parental care behaviors of nesting male bluegills. Parental male bluegills (Lepomis macrochirus) exhibit a complex set of reproductive behaviors including the construction of nests in colonies and courtship of females. After spawning, these males then alone remain to fan and guard the eggs and larvae from predators. Compared with control males, males implanted with bromocriptine showed significantly less defense of their broods and spent significantly more time rim circling their nests, a behavior typical of prespawning males. Because there were no significant differences among male groups in the levels of 11-ketotestosterone (11KT) or testosterone (T), the observed behavioral alterations cannot be ascribed to androgenic effects of bromocriptine. Instead, we suggest that prolactin, mediated through the action of dopamine, is involved in the expression of parental care behavior in this species.

[1]  M. Gross,et al.  Serum 11-ketotestosterone and testosterone concentrations associated with reproduction in male bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus: Centrarchidae). , 1989, General and comparative endocrinology.

[2]  R. J. Omeljaniuk,et al.  Alterations in pituitary GnRH and dopamine receptors associated with the seasonal variation and regulation of gonadotropin release in the goldfish (Carassius auratus). , 1989, General and comparative endocrinology.

[3]  R. J. Omeljaniuk,et al.  Dopamine inhibition of gonadotropin and alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone release in vitro from the pituitary of the goldfish (Carassius auratus). , 1989, General and comparative endocrinology.

[4]  M. Olivereau,et al.  Cytological responses of the pituitary (rostral pars distalis) and immunoreactive corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) in the goldfish treated with dopamine antagonists. , 1988, General and comparative endocrinology.

[5]  T. Wigham,et al.  The intracellular regulation of prolactin cell function in the rainbow trout, Salmo gairdneri. , 1988, General and comparative endocrinology.

[6]  M. Olivereau,et al.  In vivo effect of dopamine antagonists on melanocyte-stimulating hormone cells of the goldfish (Carassius auratus L.) pituitary. , 1987, General and comparative endocrinology.

[7]  R. J. Omeljaniuk,et al.  In-vivo evaluation of dopamine receptor-mediated inhibition of gonadotrophin secretion from the pituitary gland of the goldfish, Carassius auratus. , 1987, The Journal of endocrinology.

[8]  R. J. Omeljaniuk,et al.  Interactions of catecholamines and GnRH in regulation of gonadotropin secretion in teleost fish. , 1986, Recent progress in hormone research.

[9]  N. Ben-Jonathan.  Dopamine: a prolactin-inhibiting hormone. , 1985, Endocrine reviews.

[10]  M. Gross,et al.  The evolution of male and female parental care in fishes , 1985 .

[11]  A. F. Cook,et al.  Influences of catecholamines on growth hormone release in female goldfish, Carassius auratus. , 1985, Neuroendocrinology.

[12]  T. R. Carlisle.  Parental response to brood size in a cichlid fish , 1985, Animal Behaviour.

[13]  C. Osborne,et al.  Effect of estrogens and antiestrogens on growth of human breast cancer cells in athymic nude mice. , 1985, Cancer research.

[14]  T. Wigham,et al.  Evidence for dopaminergic and serotonergic regulation of prolactin cell activity in the trout Salmo gairdneri. , 1984, General and comparative endocrinology.

[15]  M. Bain,et al.  Role of Male Parental Care in Survival of Larval Bluegills , 1983 .

[16]  N. Stacey,et al.  1 Hormones, Pheromones, and Reproductive Behavior in Fish , 1983 .

[17]  L. Blumer.  A bibliography and categorization of bony fishes exhibiting parental care , 1982 .

[18]  S. Kikuyama,et al.  In vitro studies on the regulation of prolactin secretion in the bullfrog pituitary gland. , 1982, General and comparative endocrinology.

[19]  M. Gross,et al.  Sneakers, Satellites and Parentals: Polymorphic Mating Strategies in North American Sunfishes , 1982 .

[20]  P. H. Pressley.  PARENTAL EFFORT AND THE EVOLUTION OF NEST‐GUARDING TACTICS IN THE THREESPINE STICKLEBACK, GASTEROSTEUS ACULEATUS L. , 1981, Evolution; international journal of organic evolution.

[21]  Professor Miles H. A. Keenleyside.  Diversity and Adaptation in Fish Behaviour , 1979, Zoophysiology.

[22]  P. Colgan,et al.  Dynamics of Aggression in Male Pumpkinseed Sunfish (Lepomis gibbosus) over the Reproductive Phase , 1977 .

[23]  V. L. Avila.  A Fiel'd Study of Nesting Behavior of Male Bluegill Sunfish (Lepomis macrochirus Rafinesque)' , 1976 .

[24]  W. B. Scott,et al.  Freshwater fishes of Canada , 1974 .

[25]  D. Kramer.  Parental Behaviour in the Blue Gourami Trichogaster Trichopter Us (Pisces, Belontiidae) and Its Induction During Exposure To Varying Numbers of Conspecific Eggs , 1973 .

[26]  D. Kramer.  The role of androgens in the parental behaviour of the blue gourami, Trichogaster trichopterus (Pisces, Belontiidae). , 1972, Animal behaviour.

[27]  R. J. Smith,et al.  The effects of prolactin and testosterone on the parental behaviour of the male stickleback Gasterosteus aculeatus. , 1967, Animal behaviour.

[28]  K. Fiedler,et al.  HORMONAL CONTROL REPRODUCTIVE BEHAVIOR IN SOME CICHLID FISH. , 1965, General and comparative endocrinology.

[29]  H. Miller.  The Behavior of the Pumpkinseed Sunfish, Lepomis Gibbosus (Linneaus), With Notes On the Behavior of Other Species of Lepomis and the Pigmy Sunfish, Elassoma Evergladei , 1963 .