Behavioral Response of Crayfish to a Fish Predator

Abstract

In laboratory aquaria, smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieui) influenced activity, substrate selection, behavior, and food consumption of crayfish (Orconectes propinquus) of different sizes and sexes. In the presence of a predator, crayfish selected substrates affording most protection, significantly modified the frequency of various behavior patterns, and reduced their overall activity. Active behavior patterns such as walking—climbing and feeding were suppressed while defensive patterns, such as burrowing and chelae display increased. Grazing by crayfish on their detrital food supply was also suppressed by bass. Degree of response of crayfish appeared correlated with liability to predation, i.e., small, vulnerable crayfish were most affected, whereas large, less vulnerable crayfish were least affected. Because crayfish ♂ ♂ have larger chelae than ♀ ♀, they apparently were better able to defend themselves against predators; consequently, less vulnerable ♂ ♂ did not modify their behavior as dramatically as ♀ ♀. In field collections crayfish exposed on the substrate were larger than those buried; fewer ♀ ♀ than ♂ ♂ were exposed. Thus, field observations correlated well with laboratory findings, suggesting that predators affect distribution and behavior of crayfish in natural communities. By affecting several trophic levels within aquatic systems, influence of predators goes beyond simple interactions of predator and prey.