Hiding behaviour in fiddler crabs: how long should prey hide in response to a potential predator?

Jennions, Michael D.; Backwell, Patricia R. Y.; Murai, Minoru; Christy, John H.

doi:10.1006/anbe.2003.2190

Cited by 79 publications

(67 citation statements)

References 31 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Hemmi and Zeil, 2005;Jennions et al, 2003;Land and Layne, 1995a;Land and Layne, 1995b;Nalbach, 1990a). Recently, however, it has become evident that semiterrestrial crabs offer excellent opportunities for investigating the processing of biologically meaningful visual stimuli at the neurophysiological level, because stable intracellular recordings can be made in the intact, awake animal (Berón de Astrada et al, 2001;Johnson et al, 2002;Nalbach, 1990b;Tomsic et al, 2003).…”

Section: Accepted 4 January 2007mentioning

confidence: 99%

Escape behavior and neuronal responses to looming stimuli in the crabChasmagnathus granulatus(Decapoda: Grapsidae)

Oliva

Medan

Tomsic

2007

Journal of Experimental Biology

121

105

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

SUMMARY Behavioral responses to looming stimuli have been studied in many vertebrate and invertebrate species, but neurons sensitive to looming have been investigated in very few animals. In this paper we introduce a new experimental model using the crab Chasmagnathus granulatus, which allows investigation of the processes of looming detection and escape decision at both the behavioral and neuronal levels. By analyzing the escape response of the crab in a walking simulator device we show that: (i) a robust and reliable escape response can be elicited by computer-generated looming stimuli in all tested animals; (ii) parameters such as distance, speed, timing and directionality of the escape run, are easy to record and quantify precisely in the walking device; (iii) although the magnitude of escape varies between animals and stimulus presentations, the timing of the response is remarkably consistent and does not habituate at 3 min stimulus intervals. We then study the response of neurons from the brain of the crab by means of intracellular recordings in the intact animal and show that: (iv) two subclasses of previously identified movement detector neurons from the lobula (third optic neuropil) exhibit robust and reliable responses to the same looming stimuli that trigger the behavioral response; (v) the neurons respond to the object approach by increasing their rate of firing in a way that closely matches the dynamics of the image expansion. Finally, we compare the neuronal with the behavioral response showing that: (vi) differences in the neuronal responses to looming, receding or laterally moving stimuli closely reflect the behavioral differences to such stimuli; (vii) during looming, the crab starts to run soon after the looming-sensitive neurons begin to increase their firing rate. The increase in the running speed during stimulus approach faithfully follows the increment in the firing rate, until the moment of maximum stimulus expansion. Thereafter, the neurons abruptly stop firing and the animal immediately decelerates its run. The results are discussed in connection with studies of responses to looming stimuli in the locust.

show abstract

Section: Accepted 4 January 2007mentioning

confidence: 99%

Escape behavior and neuronal responses to looming stimuli in the crabChasmagnathus granulatus(Decapoda: Grapsidae)

Oliva

Medan

Tomsic

2007

Journal of Experimental Biology

121

105

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…The functional significance of this behaviour can be understood by considering the main cost associated with entering the burrow: the total loss of information about a predator's position and movement. The moment crabs go underground, they enter a risky and time consuming 'waiting game' with their predator (Jennions et al 2003, Hugie 2004. Once the crabs have reached the safety of their burrow entrance, they can afford to let the predator approach more closely, which gives them access to reliable indicators of approach direction (and therefore risk) such as looming cues (Nalbach 1990).…”

Section: Perceptual Constraints and Risk Assessmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The predictable and relatively brief hiding time of some fiddler crab species (e.g. Jennions et al 2003) would suggest another rewarding strategy. Iribarne & Martinez (1999) found that black-bellied plovers Pluvialis squatarola often stand still near burrow entrances and wait until a crab emerges.…”

Section: Perceptual Constraints and Risk Assessmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sensory biology: linking the internal and external ecologies of marine organisms

Weissburg¹,

Browman²

2005

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Contributions to this Theme Section (TS) articulate an increasingly powerful synthesis in ecology: understanding animal perceptual abilities lends insight into ecological interactions that, in turn, determine fundamental properties of populations of organisms and communities. This synthesis, often referred to as sensory ecology (e.g. Dusenbery 1992), has its antecedents in diverse fields ranging from sensory physiology, behavior and behavioral ecology, to classical population ecology (e.g. Lythgoe 1979, Dusenbery 1992, Endler 2000. However, it is unique in the explicit recognition that the capacity of organisms to acquire information from the environment is an essential determinant of ecological function. Thus, sensory ecology acts as the disciplinary interface between the processes occurring within organisms and those occurring between organisms and their environment.The sub-discipline of sensory ecology is a relatively new endeavour. Although sensory physiology, behavior and ecology are all well established areas that have made substantial contributions to our understanding of the natural world, there is a distinct lack of studies that link the inner and outer ecologies of animals. The explanation for this may lie in a historical tendency to pursue specialized knowledge within a given level of inquiry at the expense of synthesis across levels (see Saarinen 1980). Whereas sensory physiologists largely address the mechanisms operating within organisms Meganyctiphanes norvegica. Knowing which sensory modes the Northern krill uses to locate prey is central to evaluations of its feeding ecology. This Theme Section presents case studies that demonstrate how sensory biology is required to mechanistically link the organism's internal and external ecologies and, thereby, to make well-founded and accurate predictions about key processes in marine ecology. Photo copyright Uwe Kils, Rutgers University. Used by permission Resale or republication not permitted without written consent of the publisherMar Ecol Prog Ser 287: 2005 (or their cells), ecologists have often treated animals as black boxes whose inner workings are mysterious, irrelevant or assumed. Of course, it is not always necessary to understand how animals do things in order to advance the science of ecology. The importance of predation as a force structuring natural communities is plain even in the absence of detailed knowledge of how animals find their prey. Equally clear, however, is that information on perceptual mechanisms is sometimes indispensable for arriving at valid conclusions. For example, optimal foraging theory has been a useful heuristic tool, but has been less successful in predicting ecological outcomes, in part, because assumptions of perceptual capabilities (e.g. instantaneous recognition of prey types and their energetic value) are often unrealistic (Krebs & Davies 1991).As documented in the contributions to this TS, a firm appreciation of sensory biology can provide insights into animal distributions, relationships among competitors, pat...

show abstract

“…Hugie, 2004), leading to lost opportunities. The duration of predator-provoked refuge use in fiddler crabs has been shown to significantly exceed that of un-provoked refuge use, and the duration of provoked refuge use depends on the nature of the threat (Jennions et al, 2003;Wong et al, 2005). This suggests that before going underground, crabs are trying to assess not only the current but also the future threat posed by an approaching predator.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A multi-stage anti-predator response increases information on predation risk

Hemmi

Pfeil

2010

Journal of Experimental Biology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

SUMMARYOptimal escape theory generally assumes that animals have accurate information about predator distance and direction of approach. To what degree such information is available depends not only on the prey's sensory capabilities but also on its behaviour. The structure of behaviour can strongly constrain or support the gathering of information. The ability of animals to collect and process information is therefore an important factor shaping predator avoidance strategies. Fiddler crabs, like many prey animals, escape predators in a multi-step sequence. In their initial response, they do not have accurate information about a predator's distance and approach trajectory and are forced to base their response decision on incomplete information that is not strictly correlated with risk. We show here that fiddler crabs gather qualitatively different visual information during successive stages of their escape sequence. This suggests that multi-stage anti-predator behaviours serve not only to successively reduce risk but also to increase the quality of information with regards to the actual risk. There are countless reasons why prey animals are not able to accurately assess risk. By concentrating on sensory limitations, we can quantify such information deficits and investigate how improving risk assessment helps prey optimise the balance between predation risk and escape costs.

show abstract

Hiding behaviour in fiddler crabs: how long should prey hide in response to a potential predator?

Cited by 79 publications

References 31 publications

Escape behavior and neuronal responses to looming stimuli in the crabChasmagnathus granulatus(Decapoda: Grapsidae)

Escape behavior and neuronal responses to looming stimuli in the crabChasmagnathus granulatus(Decapoda: Grapsidae)

Sensory biology: linking the internal and external ecologies of marine organisms

A multi-stage anti-predator response increases information on predation risk

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About