Feeding Experience Modifies the Assessment of Ambush Sites by the Timber Rattlesnake, a Sit-and-Wait Predator

To effectively ambush prey, sit‐and‐wait predators must locate sites where profitable prey are likely to return. One means by which predators evaluate potential ambush sites is by recognizing high‐use areas through chemical cues deposited inadvertently by their prey. However, it is unknown whether ambush predators can use chemical cues associated with past prey items in the assessment of potential ambush sites. I examined selection of ambush sites by timber rattlesnakes (Crotalus horridus) exposed to trails made from chemical extracts of the integument of various prey species. I evaluated the role of feeding experience in ambush site selection by comparing the behavior of timber rattlesnakes before and after feeding experience with different sized prey items. Timber rattlesnakes are more likely to select ambush sites adjacent to chemical trails from prey with which they have had feeding experience, but only those fed relatively large prey showed an increase in responsiveness. Increased responsiveness after feeding experience was exhibited in experiments using integumentary extracts of mammals (the natural prey of timber rattlesnakes), but not in those using extracts of fish. These results indicate that ambush predators may learn to recognize chemicals on the integument of profitable food items, and use that experience when subsequently selecting ambush sites. Additionally, these findings provide evidence that size‐dependent predation by snakes may be, in some species, a result of active prey selection.     

Morphological limitations, prey size selectivity, and growth response of juvenile atlantic salmon, Salmo salar

The head and jaw movements involved in capture, buccal manipulation, ingestion and rejection of prey were investigated using sequential photography of juvenile Atlantic salmon feeding in a simulated stream environment. The results are described and discussed and mouth breadth and gill raker spacing are proposed as morphometric limitations to the range of prey sizes available which remains constant at 0·06 · fish fork length ( PFR ).
A recirculatory flume tank was used to study prey size selectivity behavior. Simplified downstream-drifting prey items elicited a variety of responses depending on their physical size. One hundred percent of offered prey of PFR 0·025 were ingested, while 90 % of prey at PFR 0·051 and 100% of prey at PFR 0·105 were rejected. It is demonstrated that fish show negative selection for prey sizes smaller than PFR 0·025 and that prey of this size elicits maximum growth response.
The validity of the proposed morphometric limitations on the available prey sizes is demonstrated by reference to selectivity behaviour and prey size related differential growth.     

Diet changes in prey size selectivity in larvae of perch <Emphasis Type="Italic">Perca fluviatilis</Emphasis>

A hypothesis on change in prey size selectivity in relation to illumination level was tested on the basis of data on weight and size composition of the content of the digestive tract of larvae of perch Perca fluviatilis and on zooplankton in the layer 0–6 m (Wallersee Lake, Austria). Larvae foraging in the twilight-night period had almost two times more food in the intestine than those foraging in the daytime. The size composition of perch larvae and concentration and size composition of zooplankton hardly differed in the daytime and twilight-night samples. For the first time, it is shown on field material that more intensive feeding of larvae at twilight is related to selection of significantly larger prey than in daytime feeding. In the day-time, the larvae consumed more prey but their maximum size did not exceed 0.6 of the diameter of mouth opening of the fish; at twilight it was over 0.8. In case of feeding on so large prey, not only the weight of the consumed feed increases but the time used for capture and swallowing also considerably increases. The larvae which in the period of investigation did not yet form schools, which perform the principal defensive function, were especially vulnerable for predators feeding on relatively large prey. The decrease of the part of small-sized prey at twilight is not related to their lesser availability due to a low illumination. It is assumed that feeding on energetically more valuable but less available prey is shifted to the period of low illumination when the larvae are less exposed to predation risk. The obtained results are discussed from positions of the triotroph concept (Manteifel’, 1961).     

The effects of intraspecific competition on the prey capture behavior and kinematics of the bluegill sunfish, Lepomis macrochirus

Competition has broad effects on fish and specifically the effects of competition on the prey capture kinematics and behavior are important for the assessment of future prey capture studies in bony fishes. Prey capture kinematics and behavior in bony fishes have been shown to be affected by temperature and satiation. The densities at which bony fish are kept have also been shown to affect their growth, behavior, prey selection, feeding and physiology. We investigated how density induced intraspecific competition for food affects the prey capture kinematics of juvenile bluegill sunfish, Lepomis macrochirus. High speed video was utilized to film five bold individuals feeding at three different densities representing different levels of intraspecific competition. We hypothesized that: (1) the feeding kinematics will be faster at higher levels of competition compared to lower levels of competition, and (2) bluegill should shift from more suction-based feeding towards more ram-based feeding with increasing levels of competition in order to outcompete conspecifics for a prey item. We found that, with increased intraspecific competition, prey capture became faster, involving more rapid jaw opening and therefore greater inertial suction, shorter mouth closing times, and shorter gape cycles. Furthermore, the attack velocity of the fish increased with increasing competition, however a shift towards primarily ram based feeding was not confirmed. Our study demonstrates that prey capture kinematics are affected by the presence of conspecifics and future studies need to consider the effects of competition on prey capture kinematics.     

Predator identity and time of day interact to shape the risk–reward trade-off for herbivorous coral reef fishes

Non-consumptive effects (NCEs) of predators occur as prey alters their habitat use and foraging decisions to avoid predation. Although NCEs are recognized as being important across disparate ecosystems, the factors influencing their strength and importance remain poorly understood. Ecological context, such as time of day, predator identity, and prey condition, may modify how prey species perceive and respond to risk, thereby altering NCEs. To investigate how predator identity affects foraging of herbivorous coral reef fishes, we simulated predation risk using fiberglass models of two predator species (grouper Mycteroperca bonaci and barracuda Sphyraena barracuda) with different hunting modes. We quantified how predation risk alters herbivory rates across space (distance from predator) and time (dawn, mid-day, and dusk) to examine how prey reconciles the conflicting demands of avoiding predation vs. foraging. When we averaged the effect of both predators across space and time, they suppressed herbivory similarly. Yet, they altered feeding differently depending on time of day and distance from the model. Although feeding increased strongly with increasing distance from the predators particularly during dawn, we found that the barracuda model suppressed herbivory more strongly than the grouper model during mid-day. We suggest that prey hunger level and differences in predator hunting modes could influence these patterns. Understanding how context mediates NCEs provides insight into the emergent effects of predator–prey interactions on food webs. These insights have broad implications for understanding how anthropogenic alterations to predator abundances can affect the spatial and temporal dynamics of important ecosystem processes.     

Feeding Responses of Hatchery-Reared Gilthead Sea Bream (Sparus aurata L.) to a Commercial Diet and Natural Prey Items

Many fish species have evolved feeding mechanisms and behaviours enabling them to feed on specific prey. However, such mechanisms may not be optimal for feeding on commercial-pelleted diets in aquaculture. Gilthead sea bream chew and occasionally eject pellets or parts of pellets from the mouth when feeding on commercial diets. This may result in an increase in nutritional waste from the intensive culture of this species. In this study we examined the prevalence of this food processing behaviour in two sizes of sea bream, feeding on three types of natural prey items in comparison to a commercial pellet, to give an insight into the circumstances in which excess chewing and ejection of food items from the mouth occurred. These included two hard-textured food items (commercial pellet and hard-shelled prey) and two soft-textured food items (larvae and small crustacean). Both sizes of sea bream frequently consumed the soft-textured food types, however large sea bream also frequently consumed hard-textured pellets. Hard-textured food required longer handling times and elicited more chewing and the ejection of food items from the mouth. These results suggest that future investigations on the food processing behaviour and consequent waste when fed commercial diets differing in texture could give an insight into improving diets and feeding efficiency for intensively cultivated gilthead sea bream.     

Feeding Responses of Hatchery-Reared Gilthead Sea Bream (Sparus aurata L.) to a Commercial Diet and Natural Prey Items

Many fish species have evolved feeding mechanisms and behaviours enabling them to feed on specific prey. However, such mechanisms may not be optimal for feeding on commercial-pelleted diets in aquaculture. Gilthead sea bream chew and occasionally eject pellets or parts of pellets from the mouth when feeding on commercial diets. This may result in an increase in nutritional waste from the intensive culture of this species. In this study we examined the prevalence of this food processing behaviour in two sizes of sea bream, feeding on three types of natural prey items in comparison to a commercial pellet, to give an insight into the circumstances in which excess chewing and ejection of food items from the mouth occurred. These included two hard-textured food items (commercial pellet and hard-shelled prey) and two soft-textured food items (larvae and small crustacean). Both sizes of sea bream frequently consumed the soft-textured food types, however large sea bream also frequently consumed hard-textured pellets. Hard-textured food required longer handling times and elicited more chewing and the ejection of food items from the mouth. These results suggest that future investigations on the food processing behaviour and consequent waste when fed commercial diets differing in texture could give an insight into improving diets and feeding efficiency for intensively cultivated gilthead sea bream.     

Fleeing towards death – leech‐induced behavioural defences increase freshwater snail susceptibility to predatory fish

Prey species are often exposed to multiple predators, which presents several difficulties to prey species. This is especially true when the response to one predator influences the prey’s susceptibility to other predators. Predator‐induced defences have evolved in a wide range of prey species, and experiments involving predators with different hunting strategies allow researchers to evaluate how prey respond to multiple threats. Freshwater snails are known to respond to a variety of predators with both morphological and behavioural defences. Here we studied how freshwater snails Radix balthica responded behaviourally to fish and leech predators, both separately and together. Our aim was to explore whether conflicting predator‐induced responses existed and, if so, what effect they had on snail survival when both predatory fish and leeches were present. We found that although R. balthica increased refuge use when exposed to predatory fish, they decreased refuge use when exposed to predatory leeches. When both predators were present, snails showed a stronger response towards leech than fish and responded by leaving the refuge. This response made the snails more susceptible to fish predation, which increased snail mortality when exposed to both fish and leech compared to fish only. We show that predators that have a relatively low predation rate can substantially increase mortality rates by indirect effects. By forcing snails out of refuges such as rock and macrophyte habitats, leeches can indirectly increase predation from molluscivorous fish and may thus affect snail densities.     

Turbidity amplifies the non‐lethal effects of predation and affects the foraging success of characid fish shoals

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Predator identity and consumer behavior: differential effects of fish and crayfish on the habitat use of a freshwater snail

Predators can alter the outcome of ecological interactions among other members of the food web through their effects on prey behavior. While it is well known that animals often alter their behavior with the imposition of predation risk, we know less about how other features of predators may affect prey behavior. For example, relatively few studies have addressed the effects of predator identity on prey behavior, but such knowledge is crucial to understanding food web interactions. This study contrasts the behavioral responses of the freshwater snail Physellagyrina to fish and crayfish predators. Snails were placed in experimental mesocosms containing caged fish and crayfish, so the only communication between experimental snails and their predators was via non-visual cues. The caged fish and crayfish were fed an equal number of snails, thereby simulating equal prey mortality rates. In the presence of fish, the experimental snails moved under cover, which confers safety from fish predators. However, in the presence of crayfish, snails avoided benthic cover and moved to the water surface. Thus, two species of predators, exerting the same level of mortality on prey, induced very different behavioral responses. We predict that these contrasting behavioral responses to predation risk have important consequences for the interactions between snails and their periphyton resources. Received: 1 June 1998 / Accepted: 12 October 1998     

First feeding success with two types of prey by the Central American cichlid fish,Cichlasoma managuense (Pisces,Cichlidae): morphology versus behavior

Synopsis The behavioral and morphological correlates of differential capture success at first feeding of the cichlid fish Cichlasoma managuense were investigated. Capture efficiency with nauplii of Artemia salina was 69% compared with only 6% with Daphnia. These drastic differences are attributed largely to the different morphology and behavior of the prey that may have produced behavioral changes in the fish. Daphnia is more evasive and harder to handle than Artemia as reflected in the significantly higher number of missed capture attempts and in spit-outs, a measure of handling effort. Fish hunting Artemia had a high capture rate when they made many attempts. By contrast, fish hunting Daphnia were successful when they handled the prey persistently, made many spit outs and many attempts. Large behavioral variation was observed and may be the substrate for later food specialization. In contrast to previous studies, morphological variation in the predators and prey was kept low; no measured morphological trait of the predators explained a significant portion of the variation in capture rate. The behavioral differences among the predators in each group alone significantly explain the variation in capture rate. The developmental stage of the fish and the behavior of the prey need to be considered when comparing the capture efficiency between species.     

Modulation in Feeding Kinematics and Motor Pattern of the Nurse Shark <Emphasis Type="Italic">Ginglymostoma cirratum</Emphasis>

Synopsis Studies of feeding in bony fishes have almost universally demonstrated the ability of individuals to modulate their method of capture in response to differing stimuli. Preliminary evidence indicates that morphologically specialized inertial suction feeding sharks are the most likely fishes to lack inherent modulatory ability. We examined the ability of the nurse shark, Ginglymostoma cirratum, to modulate its feeding behavior based on different food types and sizes. G. cirratum is an inertial suction feeding fish that is apparently stereotyped in its food capture behavior. Electromyography showed no statistical difference between feeding motor patterns based on food type (squid or fish) or size (gape width or twice gape width), although there were slight inter-individual differences in the onset of muscle firing for some muscles. Kinematic analysis showed a statistical difference in variables associated with durations for different food types, with the durations for all variables being faster for squid bites than fish bites, but no difference based on the size of the food item. This apparent lack of modulation may be associated with specialization of the morphology and behavior of G. cirratum for obligate suction prey capture. This functional specialization constrains the method in which G. cirratum captures prey but does not appear to result in dietary specialization. An unusual post capture spit-suck manipulation allows this shark to handle and ingest large prey.     

The food and feeding habits of Hydrocynus forskahlii Cuvier and Hydrocynus brevis Günther in Lake Kainji, Nigeria

The diets and modes of feeding of Hydrocynus forskahlii Cuvier and Hydrocynus brevis Günther are described. Both species are mainly piscivorous in Lake Kainji. H. forskahlii feeds largely upon small clupeids though very large specimens prey more heavily upon the characid Alestes baremose. H. brevis preys upon a wide variety of species by swallowing them whole but also attacks large fish and bites pieces from them. Sexual dimorphism in H. brevis is described. The effects of predation upon the fish stock of Lake Kainji by Hydrocynus species are discussed.     

Size-biased predation by the gila topminnow poeciliopsis occidentalis (Baird and Girard)

The objective of this study is to document under both field and laboratory conditions the phenomenon of size-biased feeding by the Gila topminnow, Poeciliopsis occidentalis, and to shed light on the mechanisms responsible for this process. Adult female Gila topminnows feed in Monkey Spring, Santa Cruz County, Arizona, on a variety of food items, but Hyalella azteca is an important element of its invertebrate diet. The size of the amphipods ingested by female topminnows is a function of the size of the fish, with larger fish taking larger prey. There is also a strong preference for topminnows to select large amphipods from within the size limits imposed by the width of the mouth.The correlation between fish size and prey size was also seen in the laboratory, utilizing Daphnia similis and food pellets as prey. The tendency to select large prey from a range of available sizes was prominent with both Daphnia and pellets. The feeding period in the laboratory is characterized by two distinct phases. During the first phase, feeding is rapid and nonselective. As the feeding progresses, the rate of feeding drops dramatically and selectivity increases.More complex laboratory feeding experiments gave equivocal results. When fish were presented pellets of two sizes at different densities and at different ratios of small to large, size biased feeding was not clearly evident. Both predator and prey densities, agonistic behavior, and reaction distance should be explored more thoroughly as next steps in attempts to mimic feeding behavior in nature.Extracted from a Ph. D. thesis written by the junior author     

Modulation of prey capture kinematics in the cheeklined wrasse Oxycheilinus digrammus (Teleostei: Labridae)

The ability to modulate prey capture behaviors is of interest to organismal biologists as it suggests that predators can perceive features of the prey and select suitable behaviors from an available repertoire to successfully capture the item. Thus, behavior may be as important a trait as morphology in determining an organism's diet. Using high-speed video, we measured prey capture kinematics in three cheeklined wrasse, Oxycheilinus digrammus. We studied the effects of three experimental prey treatments: live fish, dead prawn suspended in the water column, and dead prawn pieces anchored to the substrate in a clip. Live prey elicited significantly more rapid strikes than dead prey suspended in the water column, and the head of the predator was expanded to significantly larger maxima. These changes in prey capture kinematics suggest the generation of more inertial suction. With greater expansion of the head, more water can be accelerated into the buccal cavity. The attached prey treatment elicited strikes as rapid as those on live prey. We suggest that the kinematics of rapid strikes on attached prey are indicative of attempts to use suction to detach the prey item. More rapid expansion of the buccal or mouth cavity should lead to higher velocities of water entering the mouth and therefore to enhanced suction. Further modulation in response to the attached prey item, such as clipping or wrenching behaviors, was not observed. J. Exp. Zool. 290:88-100, 2001.     

高营养级捕食者在浅水湖泊沿岸带与敞水区能量耦合的维持作用

研究利用保安湖沿岸带与敞水区两种生境中高营养级捕食者(达氏鲌与红鳍原鲌)的碳(δ13C)、氮(δ15N)稳定同位素数据,通过稳定同位素质量平衡混合模型、非度量多维尺度分析(NMDS)等方法,分析了两种生境中鲌类食物来源的差异.结果表明,两种生境中鲌类食物来源基本一致,且食物来源较为广泛,包括沿岸带饵料鱼类、敞水区饵料鱼...     

Diet niche relationships among predator and prey fish species in their early life stages in Lake Võrtsjärv (Estonia)

In Lake Võrtsjärv pikeperch was observed not to shift to piscivory in their first autumn of life, although juvenile stages of a variety of fish species were abundant in the lake. It was hypothesized that the diets of predator and prey fish fry overlap and that coarse fish species are important food competitors for juvenile piscivores and thus, pikeperch and perch fry do not shift to piscivory during their first growing season. To discover the possible linkages in this pattern, in 2009 the feeding relationships of pikeperch, perch, ruffe and roach fry were analysed. The stomach content analyses showed that in the summer period, Mesocyclops leuckarti was the most frequent prey for perch and ruffe, pikeperch consumed Leptodora kindti in large quantities, and roach ate mostly plant material. Towards autumn, M. leuckarti was the most abundant prey for all percids. However, average stomach content weight and the number of prey items eaten by ruffe were considerably higher than for other fish fry. Since the feeding opportunities of fish fry are considered poor in the examined lake, the prey has the potential to restrict the recruitment to piscivory of their predators, as prey fish seem to have better abilities to persist in this ecosystem. Furthermore, supposed competition in the juvenile stage may result in a reduced top‐down effect on coarse fish.     

Prey selection by young trout fry (Salmo trutta)

Factors influencing the choice of invertebrate food by early feeding trout are sought, special attention being given to the dimensions of the prey. The stomach contents of fish of similar age feeding on lake plankton and drifting stream fauna are compared. Little consistent preference was displayed for the smaller planktonic organisms but prey size was of importance in the distribution of stream benthos among predators of different lengths. The width of the prey was of greater significance to selection than the mean volume or the area of the largest surface of the food items. When the fish were in obvious competition for food the correlation between predator length and all prey dimensions improved.     

Social behavior of juvenile chum salmon, Oncorhynchus keta, under risk of predation: the influence of food distribution

Synopsis Social interactions can influence both foraging reward and vulnerability to predators. We examined social interactions in groups of juvenile chum salmon, Oncorhynchus keta, receiving food that was either spatially dispersed, with many food items appearing synchronously, or spatially clumped, with individual food items appearing asynchronously. These experiments were conducted both in the presence and absence of predators. when food was dispersed and predators were absent, juvenile chum formed schools and all individuals had access to food, despite frequent agonistic interactions. When predators were present, schooling and feeding continued, but agonistic interactions ceased. In contrast, when food was clumped, dominant fish utilized aggression to monopolize food regardless of whether predators were present or absent, resulting in decreased group cohesion. These results illustrate that food distribution and social interaction may play a role in determining how fish balance predation risk against foraging reward.     

Trophic structure of the spider community of a Mediterranean citrus grove: A stable isotope analysis

Spiders are dominant terrestrial predators that consume a large variety of prey and engage in intraguild predation. Although the feeding habits of certain species are well known, the trophic structure of spider assemblages still needs to be investigated. Stable isotope analysis enables characterisation of trophic relationships between organisms because it tracks the energy flow in food webs and indicates the average number of trophic transfers between a given species and the base of the web, thus being a useful tool to estimate the magnitude of intraguild predation in food webs. Using this technique, we studied the trophic groups of spiders and their links within the arthropod food web of a Mediterranean organic citrus grove. We assessed the trophic positions of the 25 most common spider species relative to other arthropod predators and potential prey in the four seasons of the year, both in the canopy and on the ground. The analyses showed great seasonal variation in the isotopic signatures of some arthropod species, as well as the existence of various trophic groups and a wide range of trophic levels among spiders, even in species belonging to the same family. Differences in δ¹⁵N between spiders and the most abundant prey in the grove usually spanned two trophic levels or more. Our findings provide field evidence of widespread intraguild predation in the food web and caution against using spider families or guilds instead of individual species when studying spider trophic interactions.