Can cost–benefit analysis explain fish distribution patterns?

Abstract

This review describes some recent theoretical and empirical research into the way fish respond to spatial heterogeneity in their environment, and particularly to patchily distributed resources. The ways in which the need to acquire food interacts with other important requirements such as thermoregulation and predator avoidance to determine space use are considered, as are interactions with other members of the same species, viewed both as shoaling companions and as competitors. Recent developments in ideal free theory are discussed and the extent to which this formulation can explain how fish distribute themselves among feeding patches is examined. The implications of overtly aggressive interactions, in the form of dominance hierarchies and territorial systems, for distribution patterns in the laboratory and in the field are also reviewed. Finally the extent to which cost–benefit analysis can help to explain fish distribution patterns and the relative importance of behavioural processes compared to other determinants of the distribution of fish are considered.

Distributional patterns of a marine bird and its prey: habitat selection based on prey and conspecific behaviour

“…Within foraging ranges of colonies, the ideal free distribution theory (IFD; Fretwell & Lucas 1970) can be used to link behavioural foraging theory and predatorprey theory within a spatial context of habitat selection over heterogeneous landscapes (Huntingford 1993, Miliniski 1994. IFD models assume that animals have complete knowledge of all prey patch locations and qualities, are 'free' to exploit any available patch without restriction, distribute themselves 'ideally' among these patches to obtain the highest foraging efficiencies (i.e.…”

Influence of ambient oxygenation and temperature on metabolic scope and scope for heart rate in the common sole Solea solea

“…growth, reproduction or survival (Priede 1985, Huey 1991. Through appropriate behavioural strategies, fish can take advantage of the thermal heterogeneity of their environment (Rudstam & Magnuson 1985, Bryan et al 1990, Huey 1991, Huntingford 1993. They are also able to alter their distribution pattern according to the amount of oxygen available in their surrounding milieu (Cech et al 1990, Schurmann & Steffensen 1992, Schurmann et al 1998).…”

Ontogenetic changes in depth distribution of juvenile flatfishes in relation to predation risk and temperature on a shallow-water nursery ground

“…Some factors may act in opposition so that the actual habitat occupied may be a compromise that represents the best balance between them (Huntingford 1993, Burrows 1994, Hughie & Dill 1994, Kramer et al 1997. In addition, a habitat that is suitable at one stage in the life history may be unsuitable at another, resulting in the differential distribution of the various developmental stages (Polis 1984).…”