Meeting Abstract
72.3 Thursday, Jan. 6 Multisensory Integration in Shark Feeding Behavior GARDINER, Jayne M*; ATEMA, Jelle; HUETER, Robert E; MOTTA, Philip J; University of South Florida; Boston University Marine Program; Mote Marine Laboratory; University of South Florida jmgardin@mail.usf.edu
Feeding involves tracking, precisely localizing and striking at and capturing prey. In complex environments, animals rely on multiple senses for such difficult behavioral tasks. Olfaction, vision, mechanoreception, and electroreception have individually been shown to be involved in feeding, but how sharks are integrating information from these senses to search for food is poorly understood. We are comparing species from different ecological niches: benthic, suction-feeding nurse sharks hunt nocturnally for fish on reefs; ram-suction feeding bonnetheads scoop crustaceans off the bottom of seagrass beds; and ram-biting blacktip sharks rapidly chase down midwater piscivorous prey. We deprive animals of information from each of the senses, alone and in combination, to elucidate their complementary and alternating roles in feeding on live prey, and to determine how pre-strike information influences capture kinematics. Feeding behavior in intact animals of all three species begins with olfactory tracking. Nurse sharks rely primarily on olfaction and when the nares are blocked, they cease to feed. If they happen upon the prey, they can orient to it using other sensory cues, but they will not ingest it. Bonnetheads use olfactory tracking until they are close to the prey. Vision is used to line up the strike and electroreception to direct the timing of the jaw movements for capture. Without electoreception, they cannot ingest prey. Blacktip sharks initially track using olfaction but demonstrate sensory switching at a distance from the prey, using vision to strike. With the nares blocked, both bonnetheads and blacktip sharks cruise the tank until the prey is in visual range, then strike from a distance. Other sensory cues can be used to locate and capture the prey if vision is blocked, but if both vision and smell are blocked, feeding ceases.
