scholarly journals Perch, Perca fluviatilis show a directional preference for, but do not increase attacks toward, prey in response to water-borne cortisol

PeerJ ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
pp. e3883 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lindsay J. Henderson ◽  
Mary R. Ryan ◽  
Hannah M. Rowland
Keyword(s):  
Visual Cues ◽  
Chemical Cues ◽  
Public Information ◽  
Perca Fluviatilis ◽  
Predatory Behavior ◽  
Predator Prey ◽  
Perch Perca Fluviatilis ◽  
Directional Preference ◽  
Response To Water ◽  
Water Borne

In freshwater environments, chemosensory cues play an important role in predator-prey interactions. Prey use a variety of chemosensory cues to detect and avoid predators. However, whether predators use the chemical cues released by disturbed or stressed prey has received less attention. Here we tested the hypothesis that the disturbance cue cortisol, in conjunction with visual cues of prey, elevates predatory behavior. We presented predators (perch, Perca fluviatilis) with three chemosensory choice tests and recorded their location, orientation, and aggressive behavior. We compared the responses of predators when provided with (i) visual cues of prey only (two adjacent tanks containing sticklebacks); (ii) visual and natural chemical cues of prey vs. visual cues only; and (iii) visual cues of prey with cortisol vs. visual cues only. Perch spent a significantly higher proportion of time in proximity to prey, and orientated toward prey more, when presented with a cortisol stimulus plus visual cues, relative to presentations of visual and natural chemical cues of prey, or visual cues of prey only. There was a trend that perch directed a higher proportion of predatory behaviors (number of lunges) toward sticklebacks when presented with a cortisol stimulus plus visual cues, relative to the other chemosensory conditions. But they did not show a significant increase in total predatory behavior in response to cortisol. Therefore, it is not clear whether water-borne cortisol, in conjunction with visual cues of prey, affects predatory behavior. Our results provide evidence that cortisol could be a source of public information about prey state and/or disturbance, but further work is required to confirm this.

scholarly journals Predator recognition and responses in the endangered Macquarie perch (Macquaria australasica)

2015 ◽  
Vol 66 (2) ◽  
pp. 127 ◽  
Author(s):  
Culum Brown ◽  
Jennifer Morgan
Keyword(s):  
Invasive Species ◽  
Endangered Species ◽  
Introduced Species ◽  
Visual Cues ◽  
Chemical Cues ◽  
Conservation Management ◽  
Perca Fluviatilis ◽  
Habitat Destruction ◽  
Perch Perca Fluviatilis ◽  
Threatening Processes

Macquarie perch, Macquaria austalasica, is an endangered species endemic to southern Australia whose distribution is highly fragmented and continues to decline. Key threatening processes include habitat destruction, dams and weirs, overfishing and interactions with introduced species. Here, we examined the responses of small and large Macquarie perch to two native predators and to the introduced redfin perch, Perca fluviatilis. Our results showed that Macquarie perch generally avoided large-bodied native predators but was attracted to small-bodied native predators. Responses to large and small redfin perch lay between these two extremes, suggesting that the Macquarie perch does treat these foreign fish as potential threats. Macquarie perch relied on both visual and chemical cues to identify predators, although its response tended to be stronger when exposed to visual cues. The results suggest that Macquarie perch has the capacity to recognise and respond to invasive species in a threat-sensitive manner, which has positive implications for the conservation management of the species.

scholarly journals Visual and Chemical Prey Cues as Complementary Predator Attractants in a Tropical Stream Fish Assemblage

2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chris K. Elvidge ◽  
Grant E. Brown
Keyword(s):  
Visual Cues ◽  
Foraging Behaviour ◽  
Chemical Cues ◽  
Prey Species ◽  
Public Information ◽  
Foraging Strategies ◽  
Predator Species ◽  
Foraging Modes ◽  
Relative Attractiveness ◽  
Ambush Predators

To date, little attention has been devoted to possible complementary effects of multiple forms of public information similar information on the foraging behaviour of predators. In order to examine how predators may incorporate multiple information sources, we conducted a series of predator attraction trials in the Lower Aripo River, Trinidad. Four combinations of visual (present or absent) and chemical cues (present or absent) from each of two prey species were presented. The occurrences of three locally abundant predatory species present within a 1 m radius of cue introduction sites were recorded. The relative attractiveness of cue type to each predator was directly related to their primary foraging modes, with visual ambush predators demonstrating an attraction to visual cues, benthivores to chemical cues, and active social foragers demonstrating complementary responses to paired cues. Predator species-pair counts were greatest in response to cues from the more abundant prey species, indicating that individuals may adopt riskier foraging strategies when presented with more familiar prey cues. These differences in predator attraction patterns demonstrate complementary effects of multiple sensory cues on the short-term habitat use and foraging behaviour of predators under fully natural conditions.

Size-dependent predation in piscivores: interactions between predator foraging and prey avoidance abilities

1999 ◽  
Vol 56 (7) ◽  
pp. 1285-1292 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Lundvall ◽  
Richard Svanbäck ◽  
Lennart Persson ◽  
Pär Byström
Keyword(s):  
Body Size ◽  
Prey Size ◽  
Perca Fluviatilis ◽  
Prey Refuge ◽  
Eurasian Perch ◽  
Predator Prey ◽  
Size Dependent ◽  
Prey Vulnerability ◽  
Perch Perca Fluviatilis ◽  
Predator Foraging

Body size is known to play a crucial role in predator-prey interactions. For a given predator size, it has been suggested that prey mortality should be a dome-shaped function dependent on prey body size. In this study, we experimentally tested (i) the suggested mechanisms responsible for the dome-shaped prey vulnerability function and (ii) whether a prey refuge affected the form of this function. As prey, we used young-of-the-year Eurasian perch (Perca fluviatilis), and as predator, larger Eurasian perch. The prey mortality as a function of prey size was dome shaped for large and medium predators but decreased monotonically with prey size for small predators. Capture success of predators decreased monotonically with increasing prey size and was lower for small predators. In refuge trials, the mortality of prey declined monotonically with prey size for all predator sizes. Refuge use of prey increased with the sizes of both prey and predator. Our results suggest that the hypothesized dome-shaped relationship on prey vulnerability can be altered by the presence of an absolute prey refuge. Our results further suggest that the ability to perform more flexible foraging behaviors is of increasing importance when prey size increases.

Responses of Acilius sulcatus (Coleoptera: Dytiscidae) to chemical cues from perch ( Perca fluviatilis )

Oecologia ◽  
1997 ◽  
Vol 111 (2) ◽  
pp. 166-171 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kajsa Åbjörnsson ◽  
Bálint M. A. Wagner ◽  
Anna Axelsson ◽  
Rickard Bjerselius ◽  
K. Håkan Olsén
Keyword(s):  
Chemical Cues ◽  
Perca Fluviatilis ◽  
Perch Perca Fluviatilis
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