Adaptive search in juvenile plaice foraging for aggregated and dispersed prey |
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Authors: | S Hill †‡ M T Burrows R N Hughes † |
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Institution: | Dunstaffnage Marine Laboratory, P.O. Box 3, Oban, Argyll, Scotland, PA34 4AD;School of Biological Sciences, University of Wales, Bangor, Gwynedd, LL57 2UW, U.K. |
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Abstract: | Juvenile plaice Pleuronectes platessa in a laboratory arena used intensive search behaviour, characterized by short movements and frequent turning, in the five movements before and after attacking a prey in an aggregated distribution. They used extensive search behaviour with, on average, longer movements and less turning at all other times. Intensive search was, apparently, triggered by a high local density of prey but not by isolated prey. This response to local prey density resulted in area-restricted search when prey were aggregated and win-shift behaviour when prey were dispersed. There was no evidence that the use of intensive search increased with experience of aggregated prey. It therefore appears that the fish were able to exploit encountered prey distribution patterns using their immediate perceptions rather than prior experience. |
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Keywords: | area-restricted search win-shift behaviour klinokinesis Pleuronectes platessa saltatory search foraging |
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