Sensory cues of predation risk generate sex-specific changes in neural activity and behavior, but not hormones, in Trinidadian guppies

Abstract

How an organism responds to risk depends on how that individual perceives such risk. Integrating cues from multiple sensory modalities allows individuals to extract information from their environment, and whether and how the brain and body respond differently to different sensory cues can help reveal mechanistic decision-making processes. Here, we assessed neural, hormonal, and behavioral responses to different sensory cues of predation risk in Trinidadian guppies (Poecilia reticulata). Adult guppies were assigned to one of four treatment groups: control, visual, olfactory, and both sensory cues combined from a natural predator, the pike cichlid (Crenicichla alta), for 2 h. We found no difference in glucocorticoid response to any cue. However, we found behavioral and neural activation responses to olfactory-only cues. In addition, we found a sex by treatment effect, where males showed greater changes in neural activation in brain regions associated with avoidance behavior, while females showed greater changes in neural activation in regions associated with social behavior and memory, mirroring sex by treatment differences in behavioral antipredator responses. Altogether, our results demonstrate that single and combinatory cues may influence risk-taking behavior differently based on sex, suggesting that perception and integration of cues can cascade into sex differences in behavior.