Modification of Foraging Behavior of Guppy Poecilia reticulata by Chemical Signals of Cichlids: the Role of Preliminary Acquaintance with the Predator

摘要

Consumption of prey of various sizes was experimentally investigated in guppy Poecilia reticulata having and not having the experience with cichlid predators in the presence of chemical signals of threat: kairomones and a mixture of kairomones with the alarm pheromone. In the presence of kairomones of a predator, the increase in the percentage of small daphnias which require less time for processing, and the decrease in selectivity towards large daphnias, are observed only in the diet of the fish which are previously acquainted with this predator. In guppies having no such experience, the foraging behavior changed in response to a mixture of kairomones and the alarm pheromone; response to the latter is congenital. It is supposed that experience withthe predator is necessary to discern the threat by the presence of its kairomones in the environment, as they are a species specific characteristic of each predator, On the contrary, the congenital response to a visual image of the predator is based on"generalized characters" typical of all predators.