I studied anti-predator behavior of a demersal prey fish (a wrasse) facing a stalk-attack predator fish (a comber) in Cystoseira forest. This Mediterranean marine habitat include 3 main vertical strata: the understory (low 3D complexity since there is only trunks), the canopy (high 3D complexity due to Cystoseira branches), and the open-water up to the canopy.
I observed that wrasses were using the canopy for hiding when predators were approaching, probably because branches limit visual cues for predator and/or reduce predator mobility/efficiency. Contrastingly, when the predator was in open-water, wrasses were using the understory for fleeing quickly and discretely.
Could you please suggest me some references reporting similar anti-predator behaviors, for any kind of organisms : e.g. other fish, birds, insects
I am particularly interested in the differential use of the vertical strata, depending on their 3D structural complexity.
Here is a paper you might find interesting:
Pawar S., Dell A.I. & Savage V.M. (2012). Dimensionality of consumer search space drives trophic interaction strengths. Nature, 486: 485-489
There are two studies where we have looked at how habitat complexity affects anti-predator behavior in desert rodents (see below), but it is only in 2D
• Embar, K., Kotler, B. P. and S. Mukherjee (2011). Risk management in optimal foragers: the effect of sightlines and predator type on patch use, time allocation, and vigilance in gerbils. Oikos 120:1657-1666.
• Vijayan, S., Kotler, B. P., Mukherjee, S., Brown, J. S. and A. Bouskila. (2007) Influence of cover on foraging behaviour of Negev desert gerbils. Basic and Applied Dryland Research 1: 51-66
Three good references that talk about spatial use in response to the type of predator and/or the type of environment they are in. Hopefully these will lead you to other useful references:
Water striders shift towards the water’s edge when predatory sunfish are present, but avoid the water’s edge when predatory spiders are a threat - Krupa JJ, Sih A (1998) Fishing spiders, green sunfish, and a stream-dwelling water strider: male-female conflict and prey responses to single versus multiple predator environments. Oecologia 117 (1-2):258-265.).
Guppies respond to aerial predators by either freezing or hiding (depending on the habitat), and to aquatic predators by inspection - Templeton CN, Shriner WM (2004) Multiple selection pressures influence Trinidadian guppy (Poecilia reticulata) antipredator behavior. Behav Ecol 15 (4):673-678.)
Vervet monkeys shift up into the trees in response to terrestrial predators, but towards the ground for aerial ones - Makin DF, Payne HFP, Kerley GIH, Shrader AM (2012) Foraging in a 3-D world: how does predation risk affect space use of vervet monkeys? J Mammal 93 (2):422-428.
I really thank both of you.
These papers are really usfull and led me to others.
I particularly appreciated the one about vervet monkeys. These similarities across ecosystem still amaze me.
I wish you all the best,
Pierre
Also see this another study on Vervet monkey landscape of fear:
Ecology, 90(2), 2009, pp. 546–555
Grassland habitats could be thought as 2D, while their forest use as 3D.
cheers
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