Playing it safe? Behavioural responses of mosquito larvae encountering a fish predator. Issue 1 (2nd January 2018)
- Record Type:
- Journal Article
- Title:
- Playing it safe? Behavioural responses of mosquito larvae encountering a fish predator. Issue 1 (2nd January 2018)
- Main Title:
- Playing it safe? Behavioural responses of mosquito larvae encountering a fish predator
- Authors:
- Chandrasegaran, Karthikeyan
Singh, Avehi
Laha, Moumita
Quader, Suhel - Abstract:
- Abstract : Predation is a strong selective force that affects prey population and ecosystem dynamics. Detecting predators and associated levels of threat is crucial to prey responses. Once a predator is detected, anti-predatory responses improve the chances of survival of prey. We used Aedes aegypti larvae to study behavioural responses to predation threat from guppies ( Poecilia reticulata ). Specifically, we tested the relative importance of chemical cues, both in isolation and in combination with physical cues, in eliciting anti-predatory behaviours. Larvae responded more strongly, by reducing the lengths of their wriggle bursts, when presented with a combination of chemical and physical cues than with chemical cues alone. Anti-predatory responses often come with an associated cost, and we expect that the ability to pay these costs should influence responses to predation risk. To test this, we compared wriggling patterns of satiated vs starved larvae in the same experiment. We found that, under predation risk, starved larvae were willing to take more risks than satiated larvae were. We sought to experimentally test the assumption that anti-predator behaviours increase the survival of prey. To do this, starved guppies were made to choose between displays of simulated larvae, moving in short and long wriggle bursts as observed in the previous experiment. The fish preferentially attacked larvae moving in long bursts, demonstrating the survival value of the larvalAbstract : Predation is a strong selective force that affects prey population and ecosystem dynamics. Detecting predators and associated levels of threat is crucial to prey responses. Once a predator is detected, anti-predatory responses improve the chances of survival of prey. We used Aedes aegypti larvae to study behavioural responses to predation threat from guppies ( Poecilia reticulata ). Specifically, we tested the relative importance of chemical cues, both in isolation and in combination with physical cues, in eliciting anti-predatory behaviours. Larvae responded more strongly, by reducing the lengths of their wriggle bursts, when presented with a combination of chemical and physical cues than with chemical cues alone. Anti-predatory responses often come with an associated cost, and we expect that the ability to pay these costs should influence responses to predation risk. To test this, we compared wriggling patterns of satiated vs starved larvae in the same experiment. We found that, under predation risk, starved larvae were willing to take more risks than satiated larvae were. We sought to experimentally test the assumption that anti-predator behaviours increase the survival of prey. To do this, starved guppies were made to choose between displays of simulated larvae, moving in short and long wriggle bursts as observed in the previous experiment. The fish preferentially attacked larvae moving in long bursts, demonstrating the survival value of the larval anti-predatory response of shifting to a preponderance of short wriggle bursts. Our study identifies specific ways in which trade-offs between predation risk and energetic costs could affect anti-predator behaviour. … (more)
- Is Part Of:
- Ethology, ecology & evolution. Volume 30:Issue 1(2018)
- Journal:
- Ethology, ecology & evolution
- Issue:
- Volume 30:Issue 1(2018)
- Issue Display:
- Volume 30, Issue 1 (2018)
- Year:
- 2018
- Volume:
- 30
- Issue:
- 1
- Issue Sort Value:
- 2018-0030-0001-0000
- Page Start:
- 70
- Page End:
- 87
- Publication Date:
- 2018-01-02
- Subjects:
- predation threat -- chemical cue -- wriggle burst -- starved larvae -- Aedes aegypti
Animal behavior -- Periodicals
Animal ecology -- Periodicals
Behavior evolution -- Periodicals
Behavior, Animal -- Periodicals
Ecology -- Periodicals
Biological Evolution -- Periodicals
Écologie animale -- Périodiques
Évolution du comportement -- Périodiques
Éthologie -- Périodiques
Animal behavior
Animal ecology
Behavior evolution
Periodicals
Electronic journals
591.5 - Journal URLs:
- http://catalog.hathitrust.org/api/volumes/oclc/20334991.html ↗
http://www.tandfonline.com/toc/teee20/current ↗
http://www.unifi.it/unifi/dbag/eee/ ↗
http://www.tandfonline.com/ ↗ - DOI:
- 10.1080/03949370.2017.1313785 ↗
- Languages:
- English
- ISSNs:
- 0394-9370
- Deposit Type:
- Legaldeposit
- View Content:
- Available online (eLD content is only available in our Reading Rooms) ↗
- Physical Locations:
- British Library DSC - BLDSS-3PM
British Library HMNTS - ELD Digital store - Ingest File:
- 5531.xml