Effect of predation threat on repeatability of individual crab behavior revealed by mark-recapture

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• 作者：Benjamin J. Toscano (1)
  John Gatto (2)
  Blaine D. Griffen (1) (2)
  
• 关键词：Anti ; predator ; Behavioral syndrome ; Body size ; Crassostrea virginica ; Phenotypic plasticity ; Personality
• 刊名：Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology
• 出版年：2014
• 出版时间：March 2014
• 年：2014
• 卷：68
• 期：3
• 页码：519-527
• 全文大小：308 KB
• 作者单位：Benjamin J. Toscano (1)
  John Gatto (2)
  Blaine D. Griffen (1) (2)
  
  1. Department of Biological Sciences, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, 29208, USA
  2. Marine Science Program, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, 29208, USA
  
• ISSN：1432-0762

文摘

The persistence of behavioral types in situ and the drivers of persistence are central to predicting the ecological effects of intraspecific behavioral variation. We surveyed individual refuge use of mud crabs (Panopeus herbstii), a behavior related to the strength of a trait-mediated trophic cascade in oyster reefs, in the absence and presence of toadfish (Opsanus tau) predation threat. We then released these crabs into the field and using mark-recapture, measured the repeatability of this behavior in the absence and presence of threat, and how behavioral change was affected by time in the field (a month on average, up to 81?days), crab size, and sex. Because crabs exhibited some evidence of a circatidal rhythm in refuge use, we also tested how tidal height during observation influenced behavioral change. Predation threat increased refuge use, and small crabs used the refuge more than large crabs, particularly under threat. In recaptured crabs, refuge use was more repeatable under threat. Neither time in the field, crab size, crab sex, nor tidal height had any effect on behavioral change. Our results support the non-mutually exclusive hypotheses that (1) prey organisms in the presence, rather than absence, of predation threat should exhibit less behavioral variability because the fear of dying (a severe fitness consequence) should take precedence over less immediately important influences on behavior (e.g., hunger) and that (2) individual behaviors tied to fixed traits (e.g., the body size dependence of refuge use under threat in this study), rather than variable traits, should be more repeatable over time.