Paired environmental stressors reduce antipredator responses to predator dietary cues in Trinidadian guppies

Freshwater prey rely on chemosensory information, such as predator dietary cues, to accurately assess local predation risk. Climate change is increasing the frequency of multiple environmental stressors that can disrupt how prey detect and respond to such cues, yet few studies have examined how stressors affecting different sensory modalities interact to shape antipredator behaviour. Here, we tested how paired stressors alter prey responses to predator dietary cues. Trinidadian guppies were exposed to two stressor combinations (warming + acidification and warming + turbidity) and received either predator dietary cues from Jack Dempsey cichlids or a water control. We then assessed shoaling index and area use as indicators of antipredator behaviour. Overall, increasing stressor intensity reduced antipredator responses, regardless of the sensory modalities affected. Our study highlights the need to examine a broader range of chemical cues and to better understand how multiple stressors shape predator–prey interactions in freshwater ecosystems.