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Finding food: how generalist predators use contact-chemosensory information to guide prey preferences.
Zimmer, Richard K; Ferrier, Graham A; Zimmer, Cheryl A.
Afiliación
  • Zimmer RK; Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA.
  • Ferrier GA; Neuroscience Program, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA.
  • Zimmer CA; Moreton Bay Research Station, Centre for Marine Science, and School of the Environment, University of Queensland, St Lucia, Brisbane 4072, Queensland, Australia.
J Exp Biol ; 227(19)2024 Oct 01.
Article en En | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-39246153
ABSTRACT
Understanding the processes that guide carnivores in finding and selecting prey is a fundamental, unresolved challenge in sensory biology. To our knowledge, no published work has yet revealed the complete structural identities of compounds that cue preferences by generalist predators for different prey species. With this research imperative in mind, we determined the chemistry driving consumer preferences for live intact prey using two generalist predatory species (sea stars, Pisaster ochraceus; whelks, Acanthinucella spirata), along with two foundation prey species (mussels, Mytilus californianus; barnacles, Balanus glandula), inhabiting rocky, wave-swept shores. Each prey species is known to secrete either a 29.6 kDa (named 'KEYSTONEin') or a 199.6 kDa (named 'MULTIFUNCin') glycoprotein as a contact-chemical cue. Here, experimental manipulations utilized faux prey consisting of cleaned barnacle or mussel shells infused with KEYSTONEin, MULTIFUNCin or seawater (control) gels. Whelks exhibited a strong penchant for MULTIFUNCin over KEYSTONEin, irrespective of shell type. In contrast, sea stars generally preferred KEYSTONEin over MULTIFUNCin, but this preference shifted depending on the experimental context in which they encountered physical (shell) and chemical (glycoprotein) stimuli. This study ultimately demonstrates clear and contrasting chemical preferences between sea stars and whelks. It highlights the importance of experimental setting in determining chemical preferences. Finally, it shows that prey preferences by these predators hinge only on one or two contact-protein cues, without the need for quality coding via fluid-borne compounds, low-molecular-weight substances or mixture blends.
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Texto completo: 1 Colección: 01-internacional Base de datos: MEDLINE Asunto principal: Conducta Predatoria / Thoracica Límite: Animals Idioma: En Revista: J Exp Biol Año: 2024 Tipo del documento: Article País de afiliación: Estados Unidos Pais de publicación: Reino Unido
Texto completo
Añadir a Mi BVS
Imprimir
XML
PubMed Links
Buscar en Google

Texto completo: 1 Colección: 01-internacional Base de datos: MEDLINE Asunto principal: Conducta Predatoria / Thoracica Límite: Animals Idioma: En Revista: J Exp Biol Año: 2024 Tipo del documento: Article País de afiliación: Estados Unidos Pais de publicación: Reino Unido