Predator-prey size (PPS) relationships are determined by predator behaviour, with the likelihood of prey being eaten dependent on their size relative to that of the consumer. Published PPS relationships for 30 pelagic or benthic marine fish species were analysed using quantile regression to determine how median, lower, and upper prey sizes varied with predator size and habitat. Habitat effects on predator foraging activity/mode, morphology, growth, and natural mortality are quantified and the effects on PPS relationships explored. Pelagic species are more active, more likely to move by caudal fin propulsion, and grow more rapidly but have higher mortality rates than benthic species, where the need for greater manoeuvrability when foraging in more physically complex habitats favours ambush predators using pectoral fin propulsion. Prey size increased with predator size in most species but pelagic species ate relatively smaller prey than benthic predators. As pelagic predators grew lower prey size limits changed little and prey size range increased but median relative prey size declined, whereas the lower limit increased and median relative prey size was constant or increased in benthic species. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

中文翻译：

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觅食栖息地决定了海洋鱼类的捕食者-猎物大小关系

捕食者-猎物大小 (PPS) 关系由捕食者行为决定，猎物被吃掉的可能性取决于它们相对于消费者的大小。使用分位数回归分析了已发布的 30 种中上层或底栖海洋鱼类的 PPS 关系，以确定中位、下部和上部猎物大小如何随捕食者大小和栖息地而变化。栖息地对捕食者觅食活动/模式、形态、生长和自然死亡率的影响被量化，并探讨了对 PPS 关系的影响。远洋物种更活跃，更有可能通过尾鳍推进移动，生长速度更快，但死亡率高于底栖物种，在更复杂的栖息地觅食时需要更大的机动性，有利于使用胸鳍推进伏击捕食者。大多数物种的猎物大小随着捕食者的大小而增加，但远洋物种比底栖捕食者吃的猎物相对较小。随着远洋捕食者的增长，较低的猎物大小限制几乎没有变化，猎物大小范围增加，但中位相对猎物大小下降，而下限增加，中位相对猎物大小在底栖物种中保持不变或增加。本文受版权保护。版权所有。