Consistent interindividual differences in behaviour (i.e. animal personality variation) can influence a range of ecological and evolutionary processes, including predation. Variation between individual predators in commonly measured personality traits, such as boldness and activity, has previously been linked to encounter rates with their prey. Given the strong selection on predators to respond to prey, individual predators may also vary consistently in their response to prey in a manner that is specific to the context of predation. By studying wild piscivorous fish (pike cichlids, Crenicichla frenata) in their natural environment using experimental presentations of prey and control stimuli, we show that individual predators differ consistently in the amount of time spent near prey. Crucially, these differences were not explained by the behaviour of the same individuals in control presentations (the same apparatus lacking prey), suggesting that variation in the response to prey reflects a ‘predator personality trait’ that is independent from other individual traits (body size, boldness and/or neophobia) and environmental factors. Pike cichlids that spent more time near prey also attacked prey at a higher rate. These findings imply that the likely risk posed by individual predators cannot always be adequately predicted from typically studied axes of personality variation.

中文翻译：

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捕食行为作为野生鱼类种群的个性特征

行为上一致的个体间差异（即动物个性变异）可以影响一系列生态和进化过程，包括捕食。个体捕食者之间在通常衡量的个性特征（例如大胆和活跃）方面的差异以前与与猎物的遭遇率有关。鉴于捕食者对猎物做出反应的强烈选择，个体捕食者也可能以特定于捕食环境的方式对猎物的反应保持一致。通过使用猎物和控制刺激的实验演示研究自然环境中的野生食鱼鱼（梭子鱼、Crenicichla frenata），我们表明个体捕食者在接近猎物的时间上始终存在差异。至关重要的是，这些差异并不能用相同个体在控制演示中的行为（没有猎物的相同装置）来解释，这表明对猎物反应的变化反映了一种独立于其他个体特征（体型、胆量）的“捕食者性格特征”和/或恐新症）和环境因素。花更多时间靠近猎物的派克慈鲷也以更高的速度攻击猎物。这些发现意味着个体捕食者可能带来的风险不能总是从典型的人格变异研究轴中得到充分预测。大胆和/或恐新症）和环境因素。花更多时间靠近猎物的派克慈鲷也以更高的速度攻击猎物。这些发现意味着个体捕食者可能带来的风险不能总是从典型的人格变异研究轴中得到充分预测。大胆和/或恐新症）和环境因素。花更多时间靠近猎物的派克慈鲷也以更高的速度攻击猎物。这些发现意味着，个体捕食者可能带来的风险并不总是能够从典型的人格变异研究轴中得到充分预测。