The Dynamics of Coordinated Group Hunting and Collective Information Transfer among Schooling Prey
The Dynamics of Coordinated Group Hunting and Collective Information Transfer among Schooling Prey
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DOI：
10.1016/j.cub.2012.04.050
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发表时间：
2012-07-10
期刊：
影响因子：
9.2
通讯作者：
Couzin, Iain D.
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Handegard, Nils Olav;Boswell, Kevin M.;Couzin, Iain D.
捕食者与被捕食者的相互作用对许多生态系统的稳定性至关重要[1]。然而，很少有研究考虑到它们是如何介导的，因为在适当的时间和空间尺度上量化行为存在重大挑战。在这里，我们采用高分辨率的声纳成像跟踪运动和捕食性鱼类和它们的学校在自然环境中的猎物之间的相互作用。特别是，我们解决了捕食者攻击行为和猎物的反应能力之间的关系，直接和通过集体传播的速度变化的群体成员[2-6]。要做到这一点，我们调查了大量的攻击和估计的人均风险在攻击和它的关系的大小，形状和内部结构的猎物群体。捕食者经常形成协调的狩猎群体，最多五个人排成一行进行攻击。攻击与增加碎片和不规则的猎物群体的空间结构，功能，抑制猎物之间的集体信息传递。猎物群体的分裂，可能是由捕食线的形成，增加（估计）的人均风险的猎物，提供猎物学校保持低于阈值大小约2米（2）。我们的研究结果突出了集体行为的重要性，捕食者和猎物在相当大的信息约束条件下所采用的策略。
Predator-prey interactions are vital to the stability of many ecosystems [1]. Yet, few studies have considered how they are mediated due to substantial challenges in quantifying behavior over appropriate temporal and spatial scales. Here, we employ high-resolution sonar imaging to track the motion and interactions among predatory fish and their schooling prey in a natural environment. In particular, we address the relationship between predator attack behavior and the capacity for prey to respond both directly and through collective propagation of changes in velocity by group members [2-6]. To do so, we investigated a large number of attacks and estimated per capita risk during attack and its relation to the size, shape, and internal structure of prey groups. Predators were found to frequently form coordinated hunting groups, with up to five individuals attacking in line formation. Attacks were associated with increased fragmentation and irregularities in the spatial structure of prey groups, features that inhibit collective information transfer among prey. Prey group fragmentation, likely facilitated by predator line formation, increased (estimated) per capita risk of prey, provided prey schools were maintained below a threshold size of approximately 2 m(2). Our results highlight the importance of collective behavior to the strategies employed by both predators and prey under conditions of considerable informational constraints.