Data set for behavioural OA experiments with Caribbean Damselfish (Stegastes partitus)

• Main Authors: Hamilton, Trevor, Tresguerres, Martin, Szaszkiewicz, Joshua, Franczak, Brian, Cyrokak, Tyler, Andersson, Andreas, Kwan, Garfield, Kline, David
• Format: Other/Unknown Material
• Language: unknown
• Published: Zenodo 2022
• Subjects: behavioral neuroscience; bicolor damselfish; anxiety; boldness; Ocean acidification
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.7m0cfxpws

The neurobehavioural responses of fish exposed to ocean acidification (OA) are variable, possibly due to species-specific differences or involvement of multiple neuronal receptors. Here, we investigated behavioural responses of bicolor damselfish (Stegastes partitus) to OA and the involvement of dopamine receptors. Damselfish were exposed to control (pH 8.06; CO2 ~400 μ atm) or OA (pH 7.73; CO2 ~1,000 μ atm) seawater for five days, subjected to the open field, novel object approach, light/dark, and mirror-aggression tests, and returned to their respective aquaria. Two days later, tests were repeated upon treatment with the dopamine D1 receptor agonist SKF 38393. The D1 agonist, but not OA, altered locomotion in the open field test and boldness in the novel object approach test. Both the D1 agonist and OA increased anxiety-like behaviour in the light/dark test. Funding provided by: Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada Crossref Funder Registry ID: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100000038 Award Number: 04843 Funding provided by: National Science Foundation Crossref Funder Registry ID: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/100000001 Award Number: 1538495