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University of Michigan Biological Station

The University of Michigan Biological Station (UMBS) was founded in 1909.

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The effect of different predator hunting modes on prey behavior

Aquatic
Project Abstract: 
The goal of this study is to understand the non-consumptive effects that different hunting modes will have on prey. Hunting modes impact the duration and frequency that prey are exposed to stimuli associated with predator presence. A hunting mode, such as ambush predation, will expose prey to a more continuous, low-level background of predatory signals. Conversely, active predators will have a higher intensity, but shorter duration associated with their predatory signals. The differences in sensory landscapes created by hunting mode can potentially elicit differences in prey behavior. Subsequently, alterations in the behavior of prey can then have different ecological consequences. In this study, we will be investigating how an active predator (bass) and a sit-and-wait predator (catfish) affect the daily time budgets and activity of crayfish. This work is essential to understand how sensory landscapes influence the behavior of an aquatic keystone species and subsequently ecological interactions.
Investigator(s): 
Ana M Jurcak
Paul Moore
Years Active: 
2014
Methods: 
This experiment will be a 2x2 design with the first factor being predator type (active and sit-and-wait) and the second factor being exposure length (exposure length mimicking active predator and exposure length mimicking sit-and-wait predator). There will be 5 different treatments in this study: Control, active predator with active predator exposure length, active predator with sit-and-wait exposure length, sit-and-wait predator with active predator exposure length, and sit-and-wait predator with sit-and-wait predator exposure length. Each treatment will have 10 trials, with a total number of 70 trials for the study. A naïve crayfish will be used for each trial to prevent any learning by the crayfish. The trials will last for 4 hours each. Within each testing arena there will be a shelter and food source for the crayfish. Each trial will be videotaped and time budgets will be calculated to for how much time crayfish spend doing different behaviors such as time in shelter, time by the food source, time moving, and time stationary. The amount of time spent performing these behaviors will be used in statistical analysis to compare between the treatments of aversive stimuli type and frequency of stimuli.