Meeting Abstract
Predation is a fundamental interaction between species, yet it is largely unclear what behavioral strategies are employed by predators. As a consequence, it is generally unknown what metrics of sensory and locomotor performance on a predator’s approach matter most to predation. We have conducted experiments that measure the kinematics of piscivorous interactions under laboratory conditions in the interest of testing models of strategy. Separate studies on bluefish, lionfish and zebrafish indicated that fish predators generally use a strategy of pure-pursuit, which is distinct from the parallel navigation employed by aerial predators. This pursuit strategy requires relatively little sophistication in sensing and motor control on the part of the predator, which may be appropriate to the limitation of visually-guided behavior in an aquatic environment. This work has the potential to provide a basis for considering predation during a predator’s approach.
