School size affects individual feeding success in three-spined sticklebacks (Gastevosteus aculeatus L.) |
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Authors: | E Ranta V Kaitala † |
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Institution: | Integrative Ecology Unit, Department of Zoology, University of Helsinki, P. Rautatiekatu 13, SF-00100 Helsinki;Systems Analysis Laboratory, Helsinki University of Technology, SF-02ISO Espoo, Finland |
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Abstract: | The effect of school size on the feeding success of individual three-spined sticklebacks was studied. We found that the proportion of fish feeding on benthic prey increased with school size and that fish in large schools tended to start feeding sooner than fish in small schools. The total number of strikes also increased in larger schools. Despite this evidence for a foraging benefit associated with school membership we propose that improved feeding returns do not alone explain stickleback schooling. |
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Keywords: | schooling feeding success Gasterosreus aculeaius |
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