Mutual visual signalling between the cleaner shrimp Ancylomenes pedersoni and its client fish.

ABSTRACT: Cleaner shrimp and their reef fish clients are an interspecific mutualistic interaction that is thought to be mediated by signals, and a useful system for studying the dynamics of interspecific signalling. To demonstrate signalling, one must show that purported signals at minimum (a) result in a consistent state change in the receiver and (b) contain reliable information about the sender's intrinsic state or future behaviour. Additionally, signals must be perceptible by receivers. Here, we document fundamental attributes of the signalling system between the cleaner shrimp Ancylomenes pedersoni and its clients. First, we use sequential analysis of in situ behavioural interactions to show that cleaner antenna whipping reliably predicts subsequent cleaning. If shrimp do not sign

SUBMITTER: Caves EM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6030538 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature