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Crayfish learning abilities: how does familiarization period affect the capture rate of a new prey item?

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Ecological Research

Abstract

This study explores the effect of the length of learning period on capture rate of a previously unfamiliar prey by an invasive freshwater crayfish (Procambarus clarkii). Juvenile crayfish were subjected to different periods of contact (learning period) with a larvae prey (Chaoborus sp.). The length of the learning period significantly affected the number of prey consumed by the predator. Our results indicate that the naive crayfish require less than 12 h to learn to maximize capture rate of this prey. The learning coefficient, adopted in the present study, may be useful in exploring predation capabilities of alien species in newly invaded habitats.

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Acknowledgments

This work was funded by the National Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) by a PhD grant (SFRH/BD/19373/2004), the project POCTI/BSE/46862/2002 and by FEDER. Thanks are due to Dr. W. Ray McClain for the manuscript review and comments before submission.

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  1. IMAR, Institute of Marine Research, c/o Departamento de Paisagem, Ambiente e Ordenamento, Universidade de Évora, Rua Romão Ramalho nº 59, 7000-671, Évora, Portugal

    Ricardo Oliveira Ramalho & Pedro Manuel Anastácio

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  1. Ricardo Oliveira Ramalho
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  2. Pedro Manuel Anastácio
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Correspondence to Ricardo Oliveira Ramalho.

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Ramalho, R.O., Anastácio, P.M. Crayfish learning abilities: how does familiarization period affect the capture rate of a new prey item?. Ecol Res 26, 53–58 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11284-010-0754-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11284-010-0754-7

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