Data from: Developmental temperature, not inbreeding, shapes life history and locomotor behaviors in juvenile guppies (Poecilia reticulata)
Data files
Aug 13, 2025 version files 138.73 GB
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final_locomotion_data.csv
11.56 KB
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Four_week_old_fish_photos.zip
31.66 GB
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life-history-data-chp2remm.csv
291.88 KB
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Locomotor_behavior_videos.zip
46.42 GB
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Matured_fish_photos.zip
22.87 GB
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New_born_fish_photos.zip
37.78 GB
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R_code.txt
45.48 KB
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README.md
3.32 KB
Abstract
Inbreeding is thought to play a strong role in shaping life-history traits and behaviors. Supporting evidence for this role often comes from observational studies. Experiments that establish causality and formally test how environmental factors moderate any effects of inbreeding remain underutilized. We ran an experiment to test how developmental temperature and inbreeding influence key life-history traits (growth rate, size, and age at maturity, survival, sex ratio), and locomotor behaviors (boldness and habituation) in juvenile guppies (Poecilia reticulata). We used a controlled breeding design to generate inbred and outbred individuals that were then reared under a control (26°C) or an elevated temperature (30°C) until maturity. Developmental temperature strongly affected life-history traits; both sexes matured earlier at 30°C, but only males exhibited slower early growth and reduced size at maturity. Female growth and size at maturity were unaffected. The higher developmental temperature reduced boldness in both sexes; however, only females habituated to the novel test environment, but this trend was only significant for females that developed at 26°C. In contrast, inbreeding had no significant effects on any of the measured traits, nor did it significantly interact with temperature. In sum, under our experimental conditions, developmental temperature is the primary driver of phenotypic plasticity in guppies, generating sex-specific responses in both life history traits and behavior, while inbreeding between siblings had no detectable effects on any of the measured traits, even under thermal stress. Our findings highlight the key role of temperature in shaping developmental and behavioral trajectories and reveal that a single generation of inbreeding may not always affect life history traits, even under environmental stress.
File name: life-history-data-chp2remm.csv
- baby_id = ID of individual offspring
- dob = date of birth of individual offspring
- father.id = id of father
- mother.id = id of mother
- crosstype = type of crossing
- breeding = type of breeding
- block = number of block
- temp = temperature
- gestation = days of gestation period
- survival.maturity = if survived till maturity (1 = yes, 0 = no)
- sex = male or female
- date_maturity = day when one matured
- age_at_maturity = number of days one took to mature
- size_maturity_cm = size at maturity in centimetre
- size_maturity_mm = size at maturity in millimetre
- size0_cm = size at birth (cm)
- size0_mm = size at birth (mm)
- size28_cm = size at day 28 (cm)
- size28_mm = size at day 28 (mm)
- growth_rate_lncm/d = instantaneous growth rate Lncm per day
- growth_rate_lnmm/d = instantaneous growth rate Lnmm per day
- growth_rate_28tillmaturity = growth rate from day 28 till maturity
File name: final_locomotion_data.csv
- baby_id = id of individual offspring
- habituation_rate = rate of habituation (slope)
- boldness_rate = rate of boldness (slope)
- breed = type of breeding
- block = number of blocks
- treatment = T is 30C, C is 26C
- sex = male or female
- mother_id = ID of mother
- body_size_mm = size on the day behaviour measured (mm)
- age_at_maturity = number of daysit took onek to mature
- size_maturity_mm = size at maturity in millimeters
- growth_rate = instantaneous growth rate
- inzone_duration (sec)= total duration (in seconds) an individual stayed ithe n central open zone as a measure of his/her boldness
File name: Locomotor_behavior_videos.zip
Uploaded all the recorded videos of individualswhoe were assessed for tracking behaviours
File name: New_born_fish_photos.zip
Uploaded all thenewbornn fish photos (day 0), those were used to calculate growth. NB: There are repeated photos of the same individual. We measured the best one from a visual perspective. The ID of individual is seen in the photo (i.e. baby 5 or baby 1705, etc).
File name: Four_week_old_fish_photos.zip
Uploaded all the four week old fish photos (day 28) those were used to calculate growth. NB: there are repeated photos of same individual. We measured the best one from visual perspective. The id of individual is seen in the photo (i.e. baby 5 or baby 1705, etc).
File name: Matured_fish_photos.zip
Uploaded all the matured fish photos (the day they matured) those were used measure the size at maturity. NB: there are repeated photos of same individual. We measured the best one from visual perspective. The id of individual is seen in the photo (i.e. baby 5 or baby 1705, etc).
Code/Software
File name: R_code.txt
This analysis investigates how developmental temperature and inbreeding affect juvenile guppy growth rates. Using linear mixed-effects models (lmer), with random effects for mother and block, the study finds that temperature—more than inbreeding—shapes growth patterns, with further sex-specific analyses confirming notable temperature effects. Model assumptions were assessed using residual diagnostics and fit comparisons.