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Abstract(s)
The invasive green alga Caulerpa cylindracea has become an important component of the
diet of the Mediterranean white seabream Diplodus sargus. As a consequence of this ªexotic
dietº, the algal bisindolic alkaloid caulerpin accumulates in the fish tissues. Although the
compound shows structural similarity to endogenous indolamines that modulate animal
behaviour, the potential impact of caulerpin on fish behaviour still remains unexplored. In
this report, behavioural experiments both on groups and on single fish responding towards a
mirror were performed under different doses of dietary caulerpin. Differences between
treated and control groups for each behaviour and for the overall aggressive pattern during
the different experimental phases showed that the aggressiveness of D. sargus decreased
with the administration of caulerpin. These results call the attention to a still unexplored
potential ability of bioactive metabolites from marine invasive species, to alter the behaviour
on native species, with putative negative effects on patterns of fish growth and population
dynamics
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University of Windsor, Canadá