predation Flashcards
What is protective resemblance (crypsis) in prey?
Protective resemblance (crypsis) is when an animal resembles its environment so closely that it blends in, becoming hidden from its predators.
What is mimicry in prey species?
Mimicry is when one species, such as juvenile mimic surgeonfish, resembles another species, such as juvenile angelfish, to avoid predators. The color variation may depend on which angelfish species is common in the area.
What are some common prey defense traits?
- Active defense
- Activity patterns (e.g., being nocturnal)
- Schooling (safety in numbers)
- Nutritional composition (e.g., unpalatability)
- Size (small size can make it harder to catch).
What are cryptobenthic reef fishes?
Cryptobenthic reef fishes are small (<5 cm), visually or behaviorally cryptic fish that live near or within the seabed. They belong to 17 families, with gobies, blennies, and cardinalfishes being the most common. They have high mass-specific metabolic rates and high mortality rates but provide most of the consumed fish biomass on reefs
What are some traits of predator species?
- Size (predators start small and shift trophic levels as they grow)
- Cryptic behaviors (e.g., trumpetfish using large herbivores as camouflage)
- Mimicry (e.g., hamlets mimicking damselfish to get closer to prey)
- Cooperation (e.g., hunting in groups).
What is top-down control and trophic cascades?
Top-down control refers to how predators regulate the abundance of prey species, often leading to trophic cascades—changes in the ecosystem structure caused by the removal or addition of predators.
How do protected reefs differ from fished reefs in terms of predator abundance?
In the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, one of the world’s best-protected reef systems, gray reef sharks are thirty times more abundant on protected reefs compared to fished reefs.
