A series of experiments has demonstrated that selection of prey by predators was determined by prey accessibility rather than predator preferences. The caridean shrimp Toxeuma carolinense is one of the numerically dominant invertebrates in subtropical seagrass meadows. However, feeding analyses of dominant fishes have shown that few fish consume Tozeuma. Predator-preference experiments revealed that Tozeuma was underrepresented in the diet of Lagodon rhomboides, the dominant epibenthic predatory fish, and that large Tozeuma were preferred over small individuals. / I examined the influence of prey behavioral responses, microhabitat shifts and cryptic coloration on prey accessibility with a combination of field observations and laboratory experiments. Tozeuma's behavior and habitat choice were extremely similar in both the field and laboratory and were tightly coupled to the seagrasses Tozeuma inhabits. In the presence of predatory fishes, Tozeuma exhibited a significant increase in the proportion of time spent in certain rare behaviors and a significant decrease in certain common behaviors. Laboratory experiments revealed that Tozeuma's behavioral responses to predators resulted in a significant increase in shrimp survival and, thus, are adaptive. In addition, Tozeuma changed its microhabitat in response to predators; individuals that did not respond were often consumed. These experiments demonstrate that prey behavior and microhabitat choice reduced Tozeuma's accessibility to predatory fishes and hence, increased its survival. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 44-11, Section: B, page: 3292. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1983.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:fsu.edu/oai:fsu.digital.flvc.org:fsu_75234 |
| Contributors | MAIN, KEVAN LOUISE., Florida State University |
| Source Sets | Florida State University |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text |
| Format | 86 p. |
| Rights | On campus use only. |
| Relation | Dissertation Abstracts International |
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