Data from: Trust thy neighbour in times of trouble: background risk alters how tadpoles release and respond to disturbance cues

In aquatic environments, uninjured prey escaping a predator release
chemical disturbance cues into the water. However, it is unknown whether
these cues are a simple physiological by-product of increased activity or
whether they represent a social signal that is under some control by the
sender. Here, we exposed wood frog tadpoles (Lithobates sylvaticus) to
either a high or low background risk environment and tested their
responses to disturbance cues (or control cues) produced by tadpoles from
high-risk or low-risk backgrounds. We found an interaction between risk
level associated with the cue donor and cue recipient. While disturbance
cues from low-risk donors did not elicit an antipredator response in
low-risk receivers, they did in high-risk receivers. In addition,
disturbance cues from high-risk donors elicited a marked antipredator
response in both low- and high-risk receivers. The response of high-risk
receivers to disturbance cues from high-risk donors was commensurate to
other treatments, indicating an all-or-nothing response. Our study
provides evidence of differential production and perception of social cues
and provides insights into their function and evolution in aquatic
vertebrates. Given the widespread nature of disturbance cues in aquatic
prey, there may exist a social signalling system that remains virtually
unexplored by ecologists.