sutton-benefitsofgroup-2015.pdf (1.9 MB)
Benefits of group foraging depend on prey type in a small marine predator, the Little Penguin
journal contribution
posted on 2015-01-01, 00:00 authored by Grace Sutton, A Hoskins, John ArnouldJohn ArnouldGroup foraging provides predators with advantages in over-powering prey larger than themselves or in aggregating small prey for efficient exploitation. For group-living predatory species, cooperative hunting strategies provide inclusive fitness benefits. However, for colonial-breeding predators, the benefit pay-offs of group foraging are less clear due to the potential for intra-specific competition. We used animal-borne cameras to determine the prey types, hunting strategies, and success of little penguins (Eudyptula minor), a small, colonial breeding air-breathing marine predator that has recently been shown to display extensive at-sea foraging associations with conspecifics. Regardless of prey type, little penguins had a higher probability of associating with conspecifics when hunting prey that were aggregated than when prey were solitary. In addition, success was greater when individuals hunted schooling rather than solitary prey. Surprisingly, however, success on schooling prey was similar or greater when individuals hunted on their own than when with conspecifics. These findings suggest individuals may be trading-off the energetic gains of solitary hunting for an increased probability of detecting prey within a spatially and temporally variable prey field by associating with conspecifics.
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Journal
PLoS OneVolume
10Issue
12Season
Article Number : e0144297Article number
e0144297Pagination
1 - 10Publisher
Public Library of Science (PLOS)Location
San Francisco, Calif.Publisher DOI
eISSN
1932-6203Language
engPublication classification
C Journal article; C1 Refereed article in a scholarly journalCopyright notice
2015, Public Library of Science (PLOS)Usage metrics
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