Association of color and feeding deterrence by tropical reef fishes
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http://hdl.handle.net/10045/7327
Title: | Association of color and feeding deterrence by tropical reef fishes |
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Authors: | Gimenez-Casalduero, Francisca | Thacker, Robert W. | Paul, Valerie J. |
Research Group/s: | Biología Marina |
Center, Department or Service: | Universidad de Alicante. Departamento de Ciencias del Mar y Biología Aplicada | University of Guam. Marine Laboratory |
Keywords: | Aposematic coloration | Chemical defense | Fish feeding behavior | Learned aversion | Nudibranch |
Knowledge Area: | Ecología | Zoología |
Date Created: | 1998 |
Issue Date: | Mar-1999 |
Publisher: | Birkhäuser Basel |
Citation: | GIMÉNEZ CASALDUERO, Francisca; THACKER, Robert W.; PAUL, Valerie J. "Association of color and feeding deterrence by tropical reef fishes". Chemoecology. Vol. 9, No. 1 (March 1999). ISSN 0937-7409, pp. 33-39 |
Abstract: | While many marine molluscs have been suggested to use aposematic coloration to avoid predation, few studies have tested the ability of marine predators to learn to associate colors with distasteful prey. In field experiments, we tested the ability of two populations of reef fishes to discriminate among red, yellow, and black artificial nudibranch models when one color was paired with a feeding deterrent. We offered fishes (1) the models without any feeding deterrents, (2) the models with a feeding deterrent coated onto one color, and (3) the models without deterrents again. If reef fishes learn to associate colors with noxious prey, we expected the color paired with the feeding deterrent to be eaten less frequently in the final assay than the initial assay. In both populations, fishes formed clear associations between color and feeding deterrence. However, when the experiment was repeated in one population, changing the color paired with the feeding deterrent, fishes did not form an association between color and feeding deterrence. In this case, prior learning may have affected subsequent trials. Our study indicates that common colors of nudibranchs are recognizable by fishes and can be associated with noxious prey. |
URI: | http://hdl.handle.net/10045/7327 |
ISSN: | 0937-7409 (Print) | 1423-0445 (Online) |
DOI: | 10.1007/s000490050031 |
Language: | eng |
Type: | info:eu-repo/semantics/article |
Rights: | The original publication is available at www.springerlink.com |
Peer Review: | si |
Publisher version: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s000490050031 |
Appears in Collections: | INV - BM - Artículos Científicos / Scientific Papers |
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Association_of_color.pdf | 278,59 kB | Adobe PDF | Open Preview | |
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