Scales of predator detection behavior and escape in Fissurella limbata: A field and laboratory assessment

The consumptive effects of predators are widely acknowledged, but predation can also impact prey populations through non‐consumptive effects (NCEs) such as costly antipredator behavioral responses. The magnitude of antipredator behavioral responses by prey is determined by an assessment of risk using sensory cues, which in turn is modulated by the environmental context. We studied the detection behavior and escape response of the keyhole limpet Fissurella limbata from the predatory sea star Heliaster helianthus. Through laboratory and field experimental trials, we quantified the distance and time of predator detection behavior by the prey, and measured their active escape responses when elicited. We found that predator detection by the limpet was chiefly mediated by distance, with experimental individuals capable of detecting predator presence effectively up to distances of at least 50 cm in the field and 70 cm under laboratory conditions. Our results indicate that this prey species is able to evaluate the proximity of its predator and use it as an indication of predation risk; therefore, predator–prey distance appears to be a primary predictor of the magnitude of the antipredator response. Given the tight relationship between predator distance and prey movement and the important role herbivores can play, particularly in this ecosystem, we expect that NCEs will cascade to the patterns of abundance and composition of rocky shore communities through changes in prey foraging behavior under risk.     

Heavy metals in some New Zealand commercial sea fishes

To establish a base line against which future pollution may be measured, eight common commercial species of New Zealand sea fish were analysed for cadmium, chromium, copper, iron, lead, manganese, nickel, and zinc. One sample of edible muscle tissue was analysed for each of 70 samples of each species. The internal organs of up to five specimens of each species were also analysed. The fish studied were: kahawai, Arripis trutta, trevally, Caranx lutescens, tarakihi, Cheilodactylis macropterus, snapper, Chrysophrys auratus, moki, Latridopsis ciliaris, hapuku, Polyprion oxygeneios, kingfish, Seriola grandis and gurnard, Trigla kumu.

Although, none of the edible parts of the fish appeared to have trace element levels likely to be a public health problem (cadmium 0.002–0.02 ppm, chromium 0.01–0.04 ppm, copper 0.04–0.95 ppm, iron 0.9–13.5 ppm, lead ‘ 0.14–0.95 ppm, manganese 0.04–2.00 ppm, nickel 0.01–0.08 ppm, zinc 2.0–36.0 ppm), some of the organs (particularly the liver) had relatively high concentrations of elements such as cadmium (up to 54 ppm). Only if some industry were to seek to exploit internal organs of fish for human consumption would such levels become important. There was some evidence for a relationship between trace element concentrations and fish size for copper in kingfish and snapper, iron in hapuku, manganese in gurnard, and for zinc in kingfish and tarakihi. Some element pairs such as copper and zinc, iron and manganese, appeared to have concentrations which were mutually related. It was assumed that the elemental concentrations reported represent natural levels and are not the result of significant man‐made pollution because there are no major industries or large urban centres adjacent to the fishing grounds.     

标记方法对皱纹盘鲍(Haliotis discus hannai)生理、生长及存活性状的影响

皱纹盘鲍是我国重要的增养殖贝类,近年来养殖产量增长迅速,但现有养殖群体仍存在抗逆性不足、底播增养殖低效等问题。个体身份的标记技术对于皱纹盘鲍人工选育中谱系记录,以及对于底播增殖效果的精准评估等均具有重要作用。采用金属挂片和塑料黏贴标签两种标记方法,比较了标记后皱纹盘鲍生理、生长存活、标记脱落率及被敌害捕食死亡等方面的差异。研究结果表明,与塑料黏贴标签标记和无标记对照相比,金属挂片标记对皱纹盘鲍标记早期生理包括出现黏液时间、心率变化等产生显著影响,对小规格皱纹盘鲍(壳长<3 cm)造成生长下降、死亡率高等影响,而对大规格皱纹盘鲍(壳长>3 cm)标记生成60 d后长时期的生长、存活以及逃避敌害均无显著影响;塑料黏贴标签标记方法与无标记对照组相比,均未对皱纹盘鲍造成显著影响。验证了皱纹盘鲍个体水平下两种标记方法的有效性及适用性,特别是对大规格苗种标记后生长、存活等性状无显著影响。研究结果将为皱纹盘鲍人工选育以及底播增养殖等工作提供有益指导。     

Evidence of marine mammal predation of the European eel (Anguilla anguilla L.) on its marine migration

Temperature and depth logging tags were implanted into adult eels released on Atlantic west coasts of France and Ireland to study their oceanic migration behavior. For three of the tags, 25 to 256 days after release there was a dramatic rise in temperature from 10 °C to 36 °C and the dive profile changed from depths of 300–1000 m to repeated ascents to the surface. This indicated that the eels carrying the tags had been eaten by a mammalian predator. Two of the tags had sufficient sampling rate to resolve the dives in detail. They recorded a total of 91 dives to maximum depths of 250–860 m lasting 11–12 min and with surface intervals of 5–7 min. More than two thirds of the dives included a rapid descent from approximately 500 m to 600–700 m. From this we infer that the predator was most likely a deep-diving toothed whale. The dives logged while the tags were inside the predator revealed that the temperature usually decreased during dives, and increased again during surface periods. The temperature drops during dives were probably caused by the ingestion of prey or water. These observations provide insights into the behavior of toothed whales foraging in the mesopelagic zone.     

Predatory pelagic fishes of the Bijagós Archipelago (Guinea-Bissau) show high overlap in diets dominated by sardinella

Knowledge of trophic interactions between the key components of marine communities is required to understand food-web dynamics and develop ecosystem-based management approaches. In West Africa, where fisheries sustain the livelihoods of a significant part of the human population, this understanding is even more urgent, especially in the face of rapidly expanding fisheries and some stock collapses in the region. We studied the feeding ecology of the Crevalle jack Caranx hippos, West African Spanish mackerel Scomberomorus tritor and Guinean barracuda Sphyraena afra in the Bijagós Archipelago, Guinea-Bissau. These are the most abundant pelagic predatory teleost fishes in the area, but little is known about their ecology despite being species with commercial and recreational value, and they likely also play an important role in various African coastal ecosystems. Our findings show a high degree of dietary overlap among these three predator species, despite some degree of segregation by prey size and type. All three predators depend on Sardinella maderensis as the most important prey, which together with other members of the Clupeidae represented 47–96% of the ingested prey items. There was little difference in the diets of the predators between the dry and rainy seasons. These novel findings suggest a ‘wasp-waist’-structured ecosystem in the Bijagós Archipelago in which S. maderensis is the central small-sized pelagic fish species, and stress the need for an ecosystem-based approach to fisheries management in the region, with precautionary measures taken to avoid the overexploitation of clupeids.     

Behaviour of hatchery‐reared and wild‐caught 4th and 5th stage American lobsters,Homarus americanus

Behavioural deficiencies in 4th and 5th stage hatchery‐reared lobsters were examined using time budget analysis and predator trials. Hatchery‐reared 4th stage lobsters were found to behave differently than wild‐caught lobsters and differences existed between hatchery‐reared lobsters from different sources. Local hatchery‐reared 4th stage lobsters spent less time on shelter and suffered higher predator rates in laboratory trials than both wild‐caught 4th stage and lobsters reared in a hatchery in Maine. Fifth stage hatchery‐reared lobsters spent significantly more time in shelter than their wild‐caught counterparts. These differences may be attributable to the lack of development of proper predator‐avoidance behaviour and need to be understood and corrected to maximise the effect of enhancement projects.     

Do predatory fish of benthic crustaceans vary between kelp and barren reef habitats in northeastern New Zealand?

Fish assemblages that included known predators of benthic crustaceans were compared between kelp and barren habitats in northeastern New Zealand using baited underwater video census methods. The benthic-feeding fish were observed in winter, spring/summer and autumn, as well as during night-time in spring/summer. Overall, the fish assemblages varied between barren and kelp habitat, being most marked in winter. Individual benthic-feeding species, such as grey mao mao (Scorpis lineolatus) and leatherjacket (Meuschenia scaber) were associated with barren habitat, while the spotted wrasse (Notolabrus celidotus) was more strongly associated with kelp habitat. The results suggest that changes in habitats on coastal reefs affect populations of species that are benthic predators, which may in turn influence the distribution and abundance of their prey species, such as juvenile spiny lobsters.     

Coupling bio-logging with nutritional geometry to reveal novel insights into the foraging behaviour of a plunge-diving marine predator

It is widely believed that predators maximise their energy intake while foraging and consume prey that are nutritionally similar. We combined GPS data loggers, miniaturised cameras, dietary sampling and nutritional geometry to examine the nutritional variability in the prey and selected diet, and foraging performance, of the masked booby (Sula dactylatra tasmani), a wild carnivore and marine top predator. Data loggers also revealed no significant differences between sexes in the foraging performance of chick-rearing adults. Females provided more food to their chicks than the males and, regardless of the nutritional variability of prey consumed, both sexes showed similar amounts of protein and lipid in their diets. Miniaturised cameras combined with nutritional analysis of prey provided, for the first time, fine-scale detail of the amounts of macronutrients consumed in each plunge dive and the overall foraging trip. Our methodology could be considered for future studies that aim to contribute to the general understanding of the behavioural and physiological mechanisms and ecological and evolutionary significance of animal foraging (e.g. energy expenditure budgets and prey selection for self- and offspring-feeding that could lead to sex-specific foraging strategies).     

Do perceptions of the Red‐tailed Hawk indicate a human‐wildlife conflict on the island of La Gonave,Haiti?

The Caribbean subspecies of the Red‐tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis solitudinus or B.j. jamaicensis) is the largest native carnivore on the island of La Gonave, Haiti, and the island's apex predator. On other Caribbean islands, raptors have been persecuted by local people typically because of their depredation of livestock. In addition to possible persecution from humans, Red‐tailed Hawks on La Gonave face challenges from island‐wide timber overharvest and rapid land‐cover changes. To better understand the human‐apex predator relationship on La Gonave, we surveyed islanders about their perceptions of, and interactions with, the Red‐tailed Hawk. According to 121 respondents from 10 villages, La Gonavans do not hunt, kill, or consume Red‐tailed Hawks. Our study revealed a notable absence of negative perceptions of the hawk by respondents despite intense hawk depredation of domestic chickens. While the chicken depredation may lead outside observers to consider the human‐hawk relationship on La Gonave as representative of a human‐wildlife conflict, our interview data do not support that conception. Our findings reflect an important conversation in related contemporary scientific literature about what constitutes human‐wildlife conflicts across various cultures. Despite tolerance by residents, Red‐tailed Hawks on La Gonave remain threatened by habitat degradation.