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Does prey community composition affect the way different behavioral types interact with their environment?

  • Behavioral ecology –original research
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Abstract

We examined how different exploratory behavioral types of largemouth bass responded to differing prey communities by determining effects on growth, survival and diet in experimental ponds. We found evidence that non-explorer largemouth bass target young-of-year bluegill early on in life, but bluegill were not an important diet item by late summer. The presence of young-of-year bluegill as prey does appear to affect the foraging strategy of the two exploring types differently. In the absence of small bluegill, both behavioral types feed primarily on benthic invertebrates and zooplankton. When small bluegill were present, we saw a shift away from zooplankton as prey for largemouth bass. However, that shift was toward more benthic invertebrates for non-exploring behavioral types and toward terrestrial insects for exploring behavioral types. Thus, it appears that prey community composition can have important effects on the way in which different behavioral types interact with their environment.

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Acknowledgments

We thank E. Giebelstein, C. DeBoom, M. Vanlandeghem, M. Porto and S. Nannini for their help with experiments. We also thank A. Brandenburg and the Little Grassy Fish Hatchery for providing fish. Additional support was provided by the Illinois Natural History Survey. All applicable institutional and/or national guidelines for the care and use of animals were followed.

Author contribution statement

MAN and DHW conceived and designed the experiments. MAN executed the experiment and MAN and DHW wrote the manuscript.

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  1. Sam Parr Biological Station, Illinois Natural History Survey, University of Illinois, 6401 Meacham Rd., Kinmundy, IL, 62854, USA

    Michael A. Nannini & David H. Wahl

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  1. Michael A. Nannini
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Correspondence to Michael A. Nannini.

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Communicated by Aaron J. Wirsing.

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Nannini, M.A., Wahl, D.H. Does prey community composition affect the way different behavioral types interact with their environment?. Oecologia 182, 453–462 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00442-016-3681-7

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