Marine Biodiversity and Ecosystem Functioning
EU Network of Excellence

 
Main Menu

· Home
· Contacts
· Data Systems
· Documents
· FAQ
· Links
· MarBEF Open Archive
· Network Description
· Outreach
· Photo Gallery
· Quality Assurance
· Register of Resources
· Research Projects
· Rules and Guidelines
· Training
· Wiki
· Worldconference

 

Register of Resources (RoR)

 People  |  Datasets  |  Literature  |  Institutes  |  Projects 

[ report an error in this record ]basket (0): add | show Print this page

The cost of a meal: factors influencing prey profitability in Australian fur seals
Meyers, N.; Speakman, C.N.; Dorville, N.A.S.-Y.; Hindell, M.A.; Semmens, J.M.; Monk, J.; Baylis, A.M.M.; Ierodiaconou, D.; Hoskins, A.J.; Marshall, G.J.; Abernathy, K.; Arnould, J.P.Y. (2021). The cost of a meal: factors influencing prey profitability in Australian fur seals. PeerJ 9: e12608. https://dx.doi.org/10.7717/peerj.12608
In: PeerJ. PeerJ: Corte Madera & London. e-ISSN 2167-8359
Peer reviewed article  

Available in  Authors 

Author keywords
    Animal-borne video, Foraging efficiency, Marine predator, Optimal foraging, Prey energetics, Profitability, Crittercam, Benthic foraging

Authors  Top 
  • Meyers, N.
  • Speakman, C.N.
  • Dorville, N.A.S.-Y.
  • Hindell, M.A.
  • Semmens, J.M.
  • Monk, J.
  • Baylis, A.M.M.
  • Ierodiaconou, D.
  • Hoskins, A.J.
  • Marshall, G.J.
  • Abernathy, K.
  • Arnould, J.P.Y.

Abstract
    Knowledge of the factors shaping the foraging behaviour of species is central to understanding their ecosystem role and predicting their response to environmental variability. To maximise survival and reproduction, foraging strategies must balance the costs and benefits related to energy needed to pursue, manipulate, and consume prey with the nutritional reward obtained. While such information is vital for understanding how changes in prey assemblages may affect predators, determining these components is inherently difficult in cryptic predators. The present study used animal-borne video data loggers to investigate the costs and benefits related to different prey types for female Australian fur seals (Arctocephalus pusillus doriferus), a primarily benthic foraging species in the low productivity Bass Strait, south-eastern Australia. A total of 1,263 prey captures, resulting from 2,027 prey detections, were observed in 84.5 h of video recordings from 23 individuals. Substantial differences in prey pursuit and handling times, gross energy gain and total energy expenditure were observed between prey types. Importantly, the profitability of prey was not significantly different between prey types, with the exception of elasmobranchs. This study highlights the benefit of animal-borne video data loggers for understanding the factors that influence foraging decisions in predators. Further studies incorporating search times for different prey types would further elucidate how profitability differs with prey type.

All data in the Integrated Marine Information System (IMIS) is subject to the VLIZ privacy policy Top | Authors 


If any information here appears to be incorrect, please contact us
Back to Register of Resources
 
Quick links

MarBEF WIKI

Erasmus Mundus Master of Science in Marine Biodiversity and Conservation (EMBC)
Outreach

Science
Responsive Mode Programme (RMP) - Marie Nordstrom, copyright Aspden Rebecca

WoRMS
part of WoRMS logo

ERMS 2.0
Epinephelus marginatus Picture: JG Harmelin

EurOBIS

Geographic System

Datasets

 


Web site hosted and maintained by Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ) - Contact data-at-marbef.org