Sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus L.) rely upon chemical and environmental information to modulate key aspects of their single reproductive season, including; stream temperature, odor of juveniles, and a male-released mating pheromone containing a main component 3-keto petromyzonol sulphate (3kPZS). In this dissertation, I test the overall hypothesis that pheromone mediated behavior is dependent upon multiple factors (i.e. environmental, physiological and social cues, or pheromone components versus mixtures in specific ratios). In Chapter 1, field tests suggest 3kPZS functions as a migratory cue in pre-spawn sea lamprey specifically during cold (< 15 °C) stream temperatures. In Chapter 2, field tests confirm a functional shift of 3kPZS from a migratory cue to a proximal mating pheromone as spawning commences. Chapter 3 marks the next step in characterizing the behavioral function of a new mating pheromone component 3,12-diketo-4,6-petromyzonene-24-sulfate (DkPES) that functions as a mating pheromone when mixed with 3kPZS. In Chapter 4, an additional male-released compound, identified as petromyzonamine-24-monosulfate (PAMS-24), is examined in field tests and hypothesized to function as a mating pheromone that advertises nest boundaries. In Chapter A-1, a novel dyhydroxylated tetrahydrofuran (THF) diol fatty acid, compiled of four stereoisomers, is currently under investigation for behavioural activity, and is therefore included as an appended chapter to this dissertation. Studies here advance our understanding of the multiple contexts at which pheromones modulate behavior, the origins of chemical communication, and the utility of pheromones for integrated invasive species control.
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