Optimal foraging: the difficulty of exploiting different feeding strategies simultaneously

Summary The foraging efficiency of a visually feeding fish, perch (Perca fluviatilis) was studied on two prey species (Daphnia magna and Chaoborus obscuripus) presented either separately or combined. It is shown that when both prey species are present, the foraging efficiency of the predator is reduced. This is due to the predator's inability to simultaneously cope with prey species with different anti-predatory behaviour. In the mixed-meal experiment the predator captured both prey species in equal proportions in disagreement with optimal foraging models assuming that handling time and encounter rate for a prey species are independent of other prey species. The results are, however, in agreement with optimal foraging models assuming that handling time and encounter rate are influenced by short time learning.