Contrasting structural complexity differentiate hunting strategy in an ambush apex predator.

Result code in IS VaVaI

<a href="https://www.isvavai.cz/riv?ss=detail&h=RIV%2F60077344%3A_____%2F21%3A00553265" target="_blank" >RIV/60077344:_____/21:00553265 - isvavai.cz</a>

Result on the web

<a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-96908-1" target="_blank" >https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-96908-1</a>

DOI - Digital Object Identifier

<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-96908-1" target="_blank" >10.1038/s41598-021-96908-1</a>

Result language

angličtina

Original language name

Contrasting structural complexity differentiate hunting strategy in an ambush apex predator.

Original language description

Structural complexity is known to influence prey behaviour, mortality and population structure, but the effects on predators have received less attention. We tested whether contrasting structural complexity in two newly colonised lakes (low structural complexity lake-LSC., high structural complexity-HSC) was associated with contrasting behaviour in an aquatic apex predator, Northern pike (Esox lucius., hereafter pike) present in the lakes. Behaviour of pike was studied with whole-lake acoustic telemetry tracking, supplemented by stable isotope analysis of pike prey utilization and survey fishing data on the prey fish community. Pike displayed increased activity, space use, individual growth as well as behavioural differentiation and spent more time in open waters in the LSC lake. Despite observed differences between lakes, stable isotopes analyses indicated a high dependency on littoral food sources in both lakes. We concluded that pike in the HSC lake displayed a behaviour consistent with a prevalent ambush predation behaviour, whereas the higher activity and larger space use in the LSC lake indicated a transition to more active search behaviour. It could lead to increased prey encounter and cause better growth in the LSC lake. Our study demonstrated how differences in structural complexity mediated prominent changes in the foraging behaviour of an apex predator, which in turn may have effects on the prey community.

Czech name

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Czech description

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Type

J_imp - Article in a specialist periodical, which is included in the Web of Science database

CEP classification

—

OECD FORD branch

10617 - Marine biology, freshwater biology, limnology

Project

Result was created during the realization of more than one project. More information in the Projects tab.

Continuities

I - Institucionalni podpora na dlouhodoby koncepcni rozvoj vyzkumne organizace

Publication year

2021

Confidentiality

S - Úplné a pravdivé údaje o projektu nepodléhají ochraně podle zvláštních právních předpisů

Name of the periodical

Scientific Reports

ISSN

2045-2322

e-ISSN

2045-2322

Volume of the periodical

11

Issue of the periodical within the volume

1

Country of publishing house

GB - UNITED KINGDOM

Number of pages

20

Pages from-to

17472

UT code for WoS article

000692507200035

EID of the result in the Scopus database

2-s2.0-85114181334