Freezing behaviour facilitates bioelectric crypsis in cuttlefish faced with predation risk
Abstract
Cephalopods, and in particular the cuttlefishSepia officinalis, are common models for studies of camouflage and predator avoidance behaviour. Preventing detection by predators is especially important to this group of animals, most of which are soft-bodied, lack physical defences, and are subject to both visually and non-visually mediated detection. Here, we report a novel cryptic mechanism inS. officinalisin which bioelectric cues are reduced via a behavioural freeze response to a predator stimulus. The reduction of bioelectric fields created by the freeze-simulating stimulus resulted in a possible decrease in shark predation risk by reducing detectability. The freeze response may also facilitate other non-visual cryptic mechanisms to lower predation risk from a wide range of predator types.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Pub Defense Publication
- Publication Date
- Dec 07, 2015
- Source ID
- 10.1098/rspb.2015.1886
Entities
People
- Christine N. Bedore
- Stephen M. Kajiura
- Sönke Johnsen
Organizations
- Duke University
- Florida Atlantic University
- Office of Naval Research