The three-dimensional prey field of the northern krill, Meganyctiphanes norvegica, and the escape responses of their copepod prey.

ABSTRACT: In the north Atlantic, Meganyctiphanes norvegica feeds predominantly on copepods, including Calanus spp. To quantify its perceptual field for prey, and the sensory systems underlying prey detection, the responses of tethered krill to free-swimming Calanus spp. were observed in 3D using silhouette video imaging. An attack-which occurred despite the krill's being tethered-was characterized by a pronounced movement of the krill's antennae towards the target, followed by a propulsion and opening of the feeding basket. Frequency distributions of prey detection distances were significantly different in the light vs. the dark, with median values of 26.5 mm and 19.5 mm, respectively. There were no significant differences in the angles at which prey were detected by krill (rela

SUBMITTER: Abrahamsen MB 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3873013 | biostudies-literature | 2010

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature