DOI: 10.5061/dryad.rfj6q57kq
title: Social context affects tissue-specific copper distribution and behaviour of threespine stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus)

description: Many species exhibit social living which offers ecological advantages such
 as increased foraging opportunities, more efficient locomotion and reduced
 predation risk. Additionally, exposure to multiple individuals of the same
 species can decrease an individual’s stress and metabolic demand, termed
 social buffering. If disruption to an animal’s social structure occurs and
 prevents social buffering, an elevated metabolic rate and thus ventilation
 frequency and gill permeability are likely. A potential consequence of
 this physiological response could be the increased accumulation of
 toxicants. The objective of this study was to investigate whether inducing
 social stress in marine threespine stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus)
 through social isolation during a sublethal water-borne copper (Cu)
 exposure would affect Cu uptake and whether that would translate to
 differences in behaviour and biochemical functioning that is susceptible
 to Cu. We hypothesized that isolating threespine stickleback during a Cu
 exposure would increase Cu uptake and sublethal effects compared to a
 grouped exposure. Wild-caught fish were exposed to control, low Cu or high
 Cu conditions (0 – 150 µg/L of Cu, nominally), either in isolation or in
 groups of six for 96 h. Isolated sticklebacks travelled three times less
 distance, took six times longer to consume food and exhibited moderately
 increased gill sodium-potassium ATPase activity than group exposed fish,
 with no effect of Cu. Isolated stickleback also demonstrated significantly
 higher Cu levels in their gill and liver tissue compared to the group
 exposed fish. However, this Cu distribution was also present within the
 control fish which had not been exposed to Cu, suggesting that the social
 context affects endogenous Cu distribution under stressful conditions. Our
 results illustrate the differences in physiology and behaviour that can
 arise when social contexts are manipulated and stress the importance of
 considering sociality when conducting toxicity tests with social
 organisms.
description: # Social context affects tissue-specific copper distribution and behaviour
 of threespine stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus)
 [https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.rfj6q57kq](https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.rfj6q57kq) ## Description of the data and file structure This file contains the raw data for the social context and copper exposure experiment.  ### Files and variables #### File: BMSC2021SticklebackSociality\_rawdata.xlsx \######Sheet: Water chemistry \##Column A (Replicate) Assigned samples replicate number within a Treatment (1-21). \##Column B (Water Treatment) Chemical treatment used for exposure. Either water with no additions (Ctrl), water nominally dosed with 50 µg/L of copper (LCu), or water nominally dosed with 150 µg/L of copper (HCu). \##Column C (Social Context) Number of individuals present during an exposure. Either the individual was exposed to the water treatment on its own with no other individuals present (Iso), or the exposure occurred with six individuals present (Grp). \##Column D (Water Type) Where the water sample came from. Either the water came from the exposure containers which contained the fish (Experimental), the sub-stock containers in which the different sub-stocks were made and held in (Stock), or the water was sampled from the taps present at the facility as a baseline comparison (Facility). \##Column E (Time water sample taken (hours)) The time into the exposure in which the water sample was extracted from the exposure containers. Either at the onset of the experiment (0), or after the water change (48).  Note: stock and facility water samples were taken periodically over the course of the experiment. Column E/Time water sample taken for the stock and facility water samples therefore not applicable, as shown by N/A. \##Column F (Water [Cu] (µg/L)) The concentration of Cu detected in the water sample. Note: Water samples with the concentration of copper reported as below the limit of detection are included here as the copper concentration being 0. \##Column G (Water [Mg] (mg/L)) The concentration of Mg detected in the water sample. \##Column H (Water [Ca] (mg/L)) The concentration of Ca detected in the water sample. \##Column I (Water [K] (mg/L)) The concentration of K detected in the water sample. \##Column J (Water [Na] (mg/L)) The concentration of Na detected in the water sample. \######Sheet: Physiological data \##Column A (Replicate) Assigned samples replicate number within a Treatment (1-21). \##Column B (Water Treatment) Chemical treatment used for exposure. Either water with no additions (Ctrl), water nominally dosed with 50 µg/L of copper (LCu), or water nominally dosed with 150 µg/L of copper (HCu). \##Column C (Social Context) Number of individuals present during an exposure. Either the individual was exposed to the water treatment on its own with no other individuals present (Iso), or the exposure occurred with six individuals present (Grp). \##Column D Activity of sodium-potassium ATPase enzyme in the gill tissue. Note: samples within which a reading could not be obtained are reported as not applicable, or N/A. \##Columns E-H Concentration of Cu in the gill, intestinal, liver and carcass tissue reported as µg/g wet weight tissue. \##Columns I-L  Concentration of Na in the gill, intestinal, liver and carcass tissue reported as mg/g wet weight tissue. \######Sheet: Behavioural data \##Column A (Replicate) Assigned samples replicate number within a Treatment (1-21). \##Column B (group_id) The unique identifier for each replicate within each treatment group. \##Column C (Fish number) An identifier of how many fish were in each treatment group. For grouped exposures the number is 1 to 6. For isolated exposures the number was 1. \##Column D (Water Treatment) Chemical treatment used for exposure. Either water with no additions (Ctrl), water nominally dosed with 50 µg/L of copper (LCu), or water nominally dosed with 150 µg/L of copper (HCu). \##Column E (Social Context) Number of individuals present during an exposure. Either the individual was exposed to the water treatment on its own with no other individuals present (Iso), or the exposure occurred with six individuals present (Grp). \##Column F (Total distance travelled (cm)) The distance in centimeters travelled by each individual during the 20 minute behavioural trial. \##Column G (Latency to total food consumption (s)) The length of time it took for all the food items to be eaten within a trial. Trails in which the food item was not consumed are reported as 1200 which is equivalent to the full duration of the behavioural trial.