Effects of satiation on feeding and swimming behaviour of planktivores

Hunger affects the feeding and swimming behaviour in fish. After 36 h of food deprivation, the feeding and swimming behaviour of Pseudorasbora parva (Cyprinidae) was studied under different prey densities (0.5, 1, 2, 5, 10 and 25 of Daphnia pulex per liter). The initial feeding rates showed marked variations in relation to prey availability. Under high prey densities, the initial feeding rate of fish was higher and subsequently decreased faster, when compared to those feeding under low prey densities. At higher prey densities, two factors were involved: that of higher prey encounter rates and also the attainment of food satiation at a faster rate. Across all prey densities, the feeding rates of fish reached a plateau after satiation. The swimming speed of fish was found to be negatively related to the prey density and a significant change in swimming speed was noted as being directly related to the level of satiation. It was found that the increasing satiation level greatly influenced the handling time and reactive volume of predator, which finally caused reduced feeding rates.     

The effects of different oxygen regimes on the feeding and vertical distribution of Nephelopsis obscura (Hirudinoidea)

The feeding rates and vertical distribution of the freshwater leech Nephelopsis obscura, fed on different densities of third instar Chironomus riparius, were determined in the laboratory at three different constant dissolved oxygen regimes (10%, 100%, 300% saturation) at 15 °C. The rate of feeding increased linearly with prey density up to maximal field prey densities, with no satiation response. Analysis of covariance showed that the rate (slope) at which prey were consumed was not significantly different among oxygen regimes but the amount eaten at any given prey density was higher in higher dissolved oxygen saturations. Analysis of the vertical distribution of N. obscura at different oxygen saturations and prey densities showed a higher proportion of N. obscura on or in the mud substrate compared to the water column at 100% and 300%. No correlation was found between prey density and the vertical distribution of N. obscura, but the numbers of prey eaten were correlated with the proportion of N. obscura on the mud substrate. These results indicate that higher percentage dissolved oxygen regimes increase the feeding of N. obscura and are of potential importance in explaining the seasonal depth distribution and microdistribution patterns recorded for N. obscura.     

Prey to predator size ratio influences foraging efficiency of larval Aeshna juncea dragonflies

We investigated foraging behaviour of larval dragonflies Aeshna juncea in order to examine the significance of prey density and body size in predator-prey dynamics. A. juncea were offered separately three size-classes of Daphnia magna at low and high densities. The data were collected with direct observations of the foraging individuals. We found that large A. juncea larvae could better enhance their intake of prey biomass as prey size and prey density increased than their smaller conspecifics. However, increasing feeding efficiency of both larval instars was constrained by declining attack success and search rate with increasing prey size and density. With small D. magna, in contrast to large A. juncea, small A. juncea increased their searching efficiency as prey density increased keeping D. magna mortality rate at a constant level. In a predator-prey relationship this indicates stabilizing potential and feeding thresholds set by both prey density and prey-predator size ratio. Attack success dropped with prey size and density, but did not change in the course of the foraging bout. For both A. juncea sizes prey handling times increased as more medium and large prey were eaten. The slope of the increase became steeper with increasing prey-predator size ratio. These observations indicate that components of the predator-prey relationship vary with prey density, contrary to the basic assumptions of functional response equations. Moreover, the results suggest that the effects of prey density change during the ontogeny of predators and prey.     

Changing handling times during feeding and consequences for prey size selection of 0+ zooplanktivorous fish

The interrelationship of fish size, prey size and handling time within a 15-min feeding period was studied in three size groups of 0 + roach, Rutilus rutilus, and bleak, Alburnus alburnus. Four size classes of cladoceran prey were used to measure changes in feeding rate and handling time from initial rapid feeding to sustained feeding. Observed differences in increase of handling time between prey size classes led to a change in the prey profitability ranking of those size classes within the first 2 min of the experiments. A 1-min feeding period is interpreted as reflecting an intermediate motivational status between extreme hunger and satiation. The use of average handling times for this period revealed a substantial change in prey profitability estimates compared to previous studies which used handling times based on short-term (a few seconds up to 1 min) feeding. It is not the largest prey items a fish can handle and swallow that are most profitable, but prey of intermediate size. By this approach a closer fit between expectations derived from optimal foraging theory and empirical data on prey size selection of 0 + zooplanktivorous fish is qualitatively achieved. Optimal prey size was found to be close the mouth gape width in small fish of 15 mm standard length, decreasing to 50% of mouth gape width in fish of 40 mm standard length.     

Hunger-induced foraging behavior of two cyprinid fish: Pseudorasbora parva and Rasbora daniconius

The feeding and swimming behaviors of Pseudorasbora parva and Rasbora daniconius (Cyprinidae) with two different prey types (Daphnia pulex and Artemia salina) at different densities (0.5, 1, 2, 5, 10, or 25 per l) were studied after 36 h of food deprivation. Full satiation was defined as the cumulative number of attacks performed until fish attain a constant attack rate which for P. parva was 425 and R. daniconius was 390 attacks. Initial feeding rates showed marked variation with prey availability. Feeding rates of fish in high prey concentrations were higher at the beginning of the experiment and decreased faster than in low prey densities. Decreases in the feeding rate at high prey densities were due to faster attainment of satiation. Feeding rates of fish across high prey densities reached a steady level after satiation. Swimming speeds of fish were inversely proportional to prey density. Moreover, the change in swimming speeds was directly related to the level of satiation. The ratios of the attack rate and the encounter rate against prey density of both fish reveal that the search for prey triggered swimming and thereby feeding during the transition from hungry to satiation. The findings of this study demonstrate that satiation plays an important role in fish foraging that should be considered a significant factor in foraging analysis.     

Prey feeding increases water stress in the omnivorous predator Dicyphus hesperus

The effects of water stress (produced by water deprivation and prey feeding) on plant feeding were investigated in the omnivorous predator Dicyphus hesperus Knight (Hemiptera: Miridae). The objective was to determine if prey feeding aggravated water deficits and thus increased plant feeding. We measured plant feeding in a factorial experiment where female D. hesperus were prepared for experiments by providing or withholding water and/or prey for 24 h. We then evaluated the amount of plant feeding on Nicotiana tabacum seedlings by the direct observation of insects at three different densities of the prey, Ephestia kuehniella eggs. The amount of plant feeding, as measured by frequency of plant feeding bouts and time spent plant feeding during observation, was significantly greater for water‐deprived individuals than for those that had been provided with water. Individuals that had been provided with prey fed on plants at a significantly higher frequency than prey‐deprived individuals at two of the prey densities used in the experiment. These results support the hypothesis that plant feeding in zoophytophagous Hemiptera facilitates prey feeding by providing water that is essential for predation.     

Facilitated predation through interaction between life stages in the stinkbug predatorperillus bioculatus (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae)

Competitive interactions in arthropod predators are well-known, but positive interactions have received less attention. The two-spotted stinkbugPerillus bioculatus often feeds gregariously on leaf beetle larvae and caterpillar prey. Consequences of prey sharing amongP. bioculatus conspecifics of dissimilar size (instar) was studied using Colorado potato beetle (CPB) prey. Rearing second-instar (N2) nymphs ofP. bioculatus with an N5 conspecific facilitated early feeding on L4 CPB larvae (a difficult prey to handle by N2 nymphs but not by N5’s), thus increasing survival and accelerating development. One in every 20 cases ofP. bioculatus foraging in the field was accounted for by pairs or small groups of mostly feeding individuals. CPB egg masses and L4’s represented a disproportionate number of cases of aggregated feeding byP. bioculatus, compared to feeding singly. Small CPB larvae decreased in the diet of aggregated stinkbugs compared to L4 larvae and egg masses, suggesting that sharing these prey may be favorable or unavoidable. In a field test measuring residence/survival of N2’s limited to L4 prey, the N2’s rate of residence/survival increased significantly when large nymphs acting as food providers were also present. The function of communal feeding inP. bioculatus is discussed, as well as the potential for greater impact on prey density that may be expected from tolerance to opportunistic feeding by conspecifics in slightly gregarious predators.     

Dietary comparisons of six skate species (Rajidae) in south-eastern Australian waters

The diet of six skate species caught as bycatch in south-eastern Australian waters was examined over a 2-year period. The skates were segregated into two regions (continental shelf and continental slope) based on prey species and depth of capture. The shelf group consisted of four species, Dipturus sp. A, D. cerva, D. lemprieri and D. whitleyi, while the slope group comprised two species, Dipturus sp. B and D. gudgeri. The two groups varied in feeding strategies with the shelf species generally occupying a broader feeding niche and preying on a larger diversity of prey including a variety of crustaceans (brachyurans, anomurans, achelates, carideans and dendobranchiates), cephalopods, elasmobranchs and teleosts. Within the slope group, Dipturus sp. B and D. gudgeri were more specialised. Dipturus sp. B preyed primarily on anomurans (galatheids) and bachyurans (homolids), whereas D. gudgeri preyed primarily on teleosts. A size related change in diet was evident for all species with the exception of D. gudgeri in which all sizes preyed predominantly on teleosts. Smaller representatives of the four shelf species all preyed on numerous amounts of caridean shrimps, in particular Leptochela sydniensis. In contrast, the continental slope species, Dipturus sp. B consumed anomurans when small, shifting to brachyurans with increasing size. Of the six skate species examined in this study, three were secondary consumers (trophic level <3) and the remaining three tertiary consumers (trophic level >4). Although ANOSIM found significant differences in dietary composition between species within groups, there was some overlap in prey species amongst co-existing skates, which suggests that there is some degree of resource partitioning amongst them.     

Variation in the diet of the Patagonian toothfish with size, depth and season around the Falkland Islands

The ontogenetic and seasonal variations in the feeding spectrum were studied in 756 specimens of the Patagonian toothfish Dissostichus eleginoides (16–159 cm total length, L_T) collected on the shelf, continental slope and bathyal waters (67–1960 m, depth range) around the Falkland Islands between April 1999 and August 2002. On the shelf, small toothfish (<40 cm L_T) were active predators taking mostly one relatively large prey item at a time (mainly near‐bottom Patagonotothen ramsayi and Loligo gahi). Medium‐size toothfish (40–60 cm L_T) fed on the same prey, but the number of prey items increased to 1–2 items per fish. Large toothfish (>60 cm L_T) switched their diet to other large pelagic fishes occurring near the bottom (Macruronus magellanicus and Micromesistius australis australis), again taking mostly one prey item at a time. The diet of medium‐size D. eleginoides on the shelf varied seasonally depending on the abundance and migrations of the major prey species. Patagonotothen ramsayi was abundant in the diet throughout the year, whereas L. gahi appeared only from February to October during its offshore seasonal migrations to the depth range of D. eleginoides. During November to January, L. gahi migrated inshore to spawn and disappeared from the toothfish diet, being substituted by M. australis australis which dispersed on the shelf after spawning. After its ontogenetic descent to the lower part of the continental slope (500–1000 m depths), toothfish took less active (than on the shelf) fishes such as Antimora rostrata whilst also feeding on active near‐bottom macrourids and skates. In their deepest habitat (>1000 m depths), toothfish became a typical opportunistic predator, feeding mainly on relatively small and inactive fishes, squids and prawn‐like crustaceans Acanthephyra pelagica and Thymops birsteini. Decrease in hunting activity with depth could be related to a specific adaptation to keep neutral buoyancy by increase of lipid content in white muscles of D. eleginoides with size.     

Searching efficiency of the lady beetleCoccinella septempunctata larvae in uniform and patchy environments

Experiments were conducted on the searching behavior and searching efficiency of the lady beetleCoccinella septempunctata bruckii Mulsant under conditions of various prey distributions and prey densities. The larvae changed their searching behavior before and after feeding. Before feeding the larvae moved quickly and the searching paths were nearly linear. But after feeding the speed decreased and turning angle increased. The speed and turning angle reverted gradually and recovered the initial pattern 95 s after feeding. The searching efficiency differed depending on the prey distribution. At low prey density, searching was most efficient when prey were distributed uniformly. But at middle and high prey densities, searching was most efficient when prey items were highly aggregated. The observed searching behavior of 4th instarC. septempunctata larvae was likely to be optimal considering the natural distribution of colonies of their prey, aphids.     

Feeding habits of Schizothorax oconnori Lloyd, 1908 in the Yarlung Zangbo River,Tibet

Seasonal, ontogenetic and sexual feeding habits of Schizothorax oconnori in the Yarlung Zangbo River were studied using percentages by number, weight and index of relative importance (IRI). The Schoener overlap index was applied to compare diets related to season, fish size and sex. The feeding intensity exhibited seasonal trends, with a minimum food intake in summer. Overall, 103 prey taxa belonging to seven prey categories (diatoms, green algae, cyanophytes, other algae, small invertebrates, macroinvertebrates and remains) were identified in 136 guts. Highest feeding diversity and evenness were recorded in summer, while lowest values of both indices occurred in autumn. S. oconnori fed almost exclusively on periphyton. Diatoms were the most important prey in terms of number, weight and IRI, followed by macroinvertebrates; other prey were also occasionally ingested. S. oconnori is a generalized and opportunistic feeder relying upon a wide trophic spectrum, but mainly feeds on diatoms as they are the most prevalent periphyton. There were high diet overlaps among seasons, fish sizes and between sexes. S. oconnori showed no dietary preference for any of the other prey available in the periphyton community.     

Functional responses of five cyprinid species to planktonic prey

Synopsis The functional responses of five species of cyprinids (Chalcalburnus chalcoides, Vimba vimba, Abramis brama, Rutilus rutilus, and Scardinius erythrophthalmus) feeding on four planktonic prey types were measured in the laboratory. Although no alternative prey types were present, the response curves were sigmoid in most cases, because attack rates were not independent of prey density. The findings are explained as being the overt expression of the fishes& foraging tactics. The chief way of maximizing food uptake, according to our interpretation, is accelerating attack rates with increasing prey density. The ability of prey to escape or relative prey size may interfere with this strategy. C. chalcoides, the only obligatory planktivore among the species studied, attacks at higher rates and responds most markedly to changes in prey density.     

The effect of prey type and density on the foraging efficiency of juvenile perch, (Perca fluviatilis)

The foraging efficiency of juvenile perch (Perca fluviatilis), feeding on two types of prey, was studied in laboratory experiments. Waterfleas (Daphnia magna) and phantom midge larvae (Chaoborus flavicans) were offered in a range of densities, either separately or combined. Perch fed more efficiently on each prey type separately than when both were mixed. Foraging efficiency decreased with an increase of mixed prey density with both prey types present in equal numbers, but also when the proportion of Chaoborus increased. This could be caused by the existence of different hunting techniques, each of which is fully efficient in the presence of one prey type only. In the presence of two prey types, the predator constantly has to switch from one hunting technique to another.     

Effect of plant nitrogen and water status on the foraging behavior and fitness of an omnivorous arthropod

Omnivorous arthropods make dietary choices according to the environment in which they forage, mainly availability/quality of plant and/or prey resources. Such decisions and their subsequent impacts on life‐history traits may be affected by the availability of nutrients and water to plants, that is, through bottom‐up forces. By setting up arenas for feeding behavior observation as well as glasshouse cages for plant preference assessment, we studied effects of the presence of prey (Lepidoptera eggs) and nitrogen/water availability to host tomato plants on the foraging behavior and life‐history traits in the omnivorous predator Macrolophus pygmaeus (Heteroptera: Miridae). In the absence of prey, the predator fed equally on the plants treated with various levels of nitrogen and water. In the presence of prey, however, the feeding rate on plants decreased when the plant received low water input. The feeding rate on prey was positively correlated with feeding rate on plants; that is, prey feeding increased with plant feeding when the plants received high water input. Moreover, plants receiving high water input attracted more M. pygmaeus adults compared with those receiving low water input. For M. pygmaeus fitness, the presence of prey enhanced its fertility and longevity, but the longevity decreased when plants received low compared with high water input. In conclusion, the omnivorous predator may be obliged to feed on plants to obtain water, and plant water status may be a limiting factor for the foraging behavior and fitness of the omnivorous predator.     

Feeding habits of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Bathydraco marri</Emphasis> (Pisces,Notothenioidei, Bathydraconidae) from the Ross Sea,Antarctica

In comparison with other bathydraconids, all species of the genus Bathydraco are poorly known from an ecological perspective. The diet of juvenile Bathydraco marri Norman, 1938 was studied for the first time in specimens collected in the southwestern Ross Sea during summer 1998. Fish were collected in a single otter trawl catch at 330–340 m depth. The stomach content analysis showed that this species fed exclusively on crustaceans. Overall, 20 prey taxa were identified to genus or species level. Mysids, amphipods and copepods were the most important prey in decreasing order of importance. Other prey, such as Euphausia superba, isopods and tanaids were eaten occasionally and in very small amounts. A multivariate analysis was applied to feeding data to assess ontogenetic or sex-related changes in diet. No difference was detected between sexes, whereas diet of small and large fish differed in some degree. An ontogenetic shift from small and pelagic crustaceans such as copepods to benthic–benthopelagic prey such as amphipods and mysids was observed. Relating present results with published data on physiological characteristics of B. marri, it was possible to infer their feeding behaviour and mode of life. Like other bathydraconids, this species appeared to be an inactive and sluggish fish, which relied on more or less motile benthic or epibenthic prey adopting a “sit and wait” feeding strategy. On the other hand, smaller fish seem to be more active, feeding also on pelagic prey such as copepods that can be seasonally abundant, thus reducing the intraspecific competition for food.     

Food consumption of five deep‐sea fishes in the Balearic Basin (western Mediterranean Sea): are there daily feeding rhythms in fishes living below 1000 m?

Predation and food consumption of five deep‐sea fish species living below 1000 m depth in the western Mediterranean Sea were analysed to identify the feeding patterns and food requirements of a deep‐sea fish assemblage. A feeding rhythm was observed for Risso's smooth‐head Alepocephalus rostratus, Mediterranean grenadier Coryphaenoides mediterraeus and Mediterranean codling Lepidion lepidion. Differences in the patterns of the prey consumed suggest that feeding rhythms at such depths are linked with prey availability. The diets of those predators with feeding rhythms are based principally on active‐swimmer prey, including pelagic prey known to perform vertical migrations. The diets of Günther's grenadier Coryphaenoides guentheri and smallmouth spiny eel Polyacanthonotus rissoanus, which did not show any rhythm in their feeding patterns, are based mainly on benthic prey. Food consumption estimates were low (<1% of body wet mass day^?1). Pelagic feeding species showing diel feeding rhythms consumed more food than benthic feeding species with no feeding rhythms.     

Spot-fixed fin digging behavior in foraging of the benthophagous maiden goby, Pterogobius virgo (Perciformes: Gobiidae)

 Several patterns of feeding behaviors have been documented in benthophagous fishes. The foraging behavior of the maiden goby, Pterogobius virgo, was studied at Kurahashi Island in the Seto Inland Sea, Japan. Pterogobius virgo foraged mostly on polychaetes by volume from among several available prey items by digging in the sandy bottom. The digging behavior comprised swing of only pectoral fins or of both pectoral fins and body. Pectoral fin swing exposed the cryptic prey within the bottom, and fins and body swing exposed the prey and washed the sediment away. The swings were repeatedly and continuously conducted at a site during the daytime, making a pit several centimeters deep in which the fish was located. After the prey was exposed, the fish immediately and rapidly picked up the prey. Polychaetes were abundant prey in the sediment, occurring in the layer 3–5 cm deep from the bottom surface in the study area. In this goby, spot-fixed fin digging, the first documentation of feeding habits in gobies, may be effective for feeding on the most valuable prey, i.e., polychaetes, which may be otherwise unavailable for this fish. Received: April 24, 2001 / Revised: April 26, 2002 / Accepted: May 7, 2002     

Resource Management in the Orb-Weaving Spider Zygiella x-notata: I. Influence of Spider Behaviour and Available Prey

Management of resource exploitation by the orb-weaving spider Zygiella x-notata was investigated in relation to available prey. Prey capture is studied according to prey type (cricket or fly), and the spider's behaviour (waiting without prey or consuming other prey), at the moment when a prey item was placed onto the web. Characteristics of the spider's exploitation of the previous item (feeding time, and quantities ingested) were analysed according to the type and quantity of prey presented, (1 or 2 items at 1-h intervals). Capture time did not vary in relation to prey type, nor spider activity. However, duration and quantities of certain behavioural components (biting and wrapping) did vary according to prey type and the spider's behaviour, at the moment of presentation of prey. Whatever the type of prey received, if the first item consumed was a cricket, the spiders reduced time spent feeding on this prey without any decrease in the quantities ingested.     

Foraging behaviour of planktivorous fish in artificial vegetation: the effects on swimming and feeding

In the littoral zones of lakes, aquatic macrophytes produce considerable structural variation that can provide protection to prey communities by hindering predator foraging activity. The swimming and feeding behaviour of a planktivore, Pseudorasbora parva(Cyprinidae) on its prey (Daphnia pulex) was studied in a series of laboratory experiments with varying densities (0, 350, 700, 1400, 2100 and 2800 stems m^–2) of simulated submerged vegetation. Prey availability was varied from 0.5, 1.0, 2.0, 5.0, 10.0 and 25.0 prey l^–1. As the stem density increased, the predator's swimming speed and the number of prey captured decreased relative to feeding in open water. A good relation existed between the number of successful prey captures and swimming speed with the average stem distance to fish body length ratio (D). An abrupt reduction in feeding and swimming was recorded when D was reduced to values less than one.     

Zooplankton capture by a coral reef fish: an adaptive response to evasive prey

Synopsis High-speed cinematography and video using modified Schlieren optics and laser illumination helped elicit details of prey capture mechanisms used by Chromis viridis while feeding on calanoid copepods and Artemia. Chromis viridis is capable of a ram-jaw, low-suction feeding, as well as a typical suction feeding behavior described for other species of planktivores. By adjusting the degree of jaw protrusion and amount of suction used during a feeding strike, this fish can modulate its feeding strikes according to the prey type being encountered. The ram-jaw feeding mode enables C. viridis to capture highly evasive calanoid copepods within 6 to 10 msec. The use of specialized feeding behavior for evasive prey and the ability to vary feeding behavior are adaptations for feeding on evasive prey.