Predator cue studies reveal strong trait-mediated effects in communities despite variation in experimental designs
Date
2013-12
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Elsevier
Abstract
Nonconsumptive or trait-mediated effects of predators on their prey often outweigh density-mediated
interactions where predators consume prey. For instance, predator presence can alter prey behaviour,
physiology, morphology and/or development. Despite a burgeoning literature, our ability to identify
general patterns in prey behavioural responses may be influenced by the inconsistent methodologies of
predator cue experiments used to assess trait-mediated effects. We therefore conducted a meta-analysis
to highlight variables (e.g. water type, predator husbandry, exposure time) that may influence invertebrate
prey’s behavioural responses to fish predator cues. This revealed that changes in prey activity and
refuge use were remarkably consistent overall, despite wide differences in experimental methodologies.
Our meta-analysis shows that invertebrates altered their behaviour to predator cues of both fish that
were fed the focal invertebrate and those that were fed other prey types, which suggests that invertebrates
were not responding to specific diet information in the fish cues. Invertebrates also altered
their behaviour regardless of predator cue addition regimes and fish satiation levels. Cue intensity and
exposure time did not have significant effects on invertebrate behaviour. We also highlight that
potentially confounding factors, such as parasitism, were rarely recorded in sufficient detail to assess the
magnitude of their effects. By examining the likelihood of detecting trait-mediated effects under large
variations in experimental design, our study demonstrates that trait-mediated effects are likely to have
pervasive and powerful influences in nature.
Description
CITATION: Paterson, R. A. et al. 2013. Predator cue studies reveal strong trait-mediated effects in communities despite variation in experimental designs. Animal Behaviour, 86(6):1301-1313, doi:10.1016/j.anbehav.2013.09.036.
The original publication is available at https://www.journals.elsevier.com/animal-behaviour
The original publication is available at https://www.journals.elsevier.com/animal-behaviour
Keywords
Predatory animals, Predation (Biology)
Citation
Paterson, R. A. et al. 2013. Predator cue studies reveal strong trait-mediated effects in communities despite variation in experimental designs. Animal Behaviour, 86(6):1301-1313, doi:10.1016/j.anbehav.2013.09.036.