Abstract
Japanese dace (Pseudaspius hakonensis) foraging and predator avoidance behaviors were studied in dace schools with and without vicinity predators in Lake Nojiri, Nagano Japan. Dace and invasive smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu), which were the only predator observed, were found interacting in shallow habitat along the shoreline. Dace exhibited remarkably different total foraging, foraging modes, and predator avoidance behavior when smallmouth bass were in vicinity. Total foraging was significantly reduced, foraging mode shifted from predominantly benthic foraging to water column foraging, and dace schooled tighter indicated by a significant decrease in nearest neighbor distance and increase in neighbor alignment. These findings show that in Lake Nojiri, dace recognize smallmouth bass as a predator and utilize predator avoidance behaviors. However, the severely decreased total dace foraging when smallmouth bass are in vicinity indicates that even when direct predation is avoided, the indirect effects of reduced foraging and heightened vigilance likely negatively impact dace growth and survival.
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taken from underwater video observations: c Japanese dace schooled and foraging in the water column with two smallmouth bass in vicinity. d Japanese dace feeding benthically with no smallmouth bass in vicinity
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Data availability
The datasets generated during and/or analyzed during the current study are available in the Knowledge Network for Biocomplexity repository, urn:uuid:462dd074-5cea-4010-a96f-951eed2939f8.
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Acknowledgements
We thank the Nojiriko Fisherman’s Cooperative Association for their agreement to allow observation and underwater video recording of fish species in Lake Nojiri as well as providing helpful background information. We also thank Mamoru Matsuki (Issa Restaurant) for providing valuable background information and the Nojiri Lake Association for granting access to their docks and swimming area. We thank author MIP’s advisor, Prof. Hideyuki Ida (Shinshu University), for his assistance in data analysis and manuscript editing. Author MIP is a Research Fellow of Japan Society for the Promotion of Science.
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All experiments comply with the current laws of Japan, and permission for the study was granted by the Nojiriko Fisherman’s Cooperative Association.
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Peterson, M.I., Kitano, S. Changes in foraging and predator avoidance behavior of Japanese dace (Pseudaspius hakonensis) to predation risk by invasive smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu) in a Japanese lake. Environ Biol Fish 104, 1381–1389 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10641-021-01166-9
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10641-021-01166-9