Risks and rewards: balancing costs and benefits of predator avoidance in a fiddler crab

Jodie Gruber; Andrew Kahn; Patricia R.Y. Backwell

doi:10.1016/j.anbehav.2019.09.014

Risks and rewards: balancing costs and benefits of predator avoidance in a fiddler crab

Jodie Gruber^*, Andrew Kahn, Patricia R.Y. Backwell

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

7 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

The decision to take risks in the presence of a predator involves complex trade-offs between immediate survival and future reproduction. Individuals may gain fitness advantages if they are able to optimally alter their risk-taking strategies depending on the differential costs and benefits of risky behaviours across contexts. Male fiddler crabs (Austruca mjoebergi) exhibited a higher propensity to take risks in the presence of a female compared with conspecifics that were not presented with a female during both mating and nonmating periods. Contrary to predictions, however, risk-taking behaviour did not differ between mating and nonmating periods.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	9-13
Number of pages	5
Journal	Animal Behaviour
Volume	158
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anbehav.2019.09.014
Publication status	Published - Dec 2019

Access to Document

10.1016/j.anbehav.2019.09.014

Cite this

@article{2b15af73066948369740c4c6aa5726aa,

title = "Risks and rewards: balancing costs and benefits of predator avoidance in a fiddler crab",

abstract = "The decision to take risks in the presence of a predator involves complex trade-offs between immediate survival and future reproduction. Individuals may gain fitness advantages if they are able to optimally alter their risk-taking strategies depending on the differential costs and benefits of risky behaviours across contexts. Male fiddler crabs (Austruca mjoebergi) exhibited a higher propensity to take risks in the presence of a female compared with conspecifics that were not presented with a female during both mating and nonmating periods. Contrary to predictions, however, risk-taking behaviour did not differ between mating and nonmating periods.",

keywords = "cost–benefit ratio, fiddler crab, predator avoidance, risk taking, waiting game",

author = "Jodie Gruber and Andrew Kahn and Backwell, \{Patricia R.Y.\}",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2019",

year = "2019",

month = dec,

doi = "10.1016/j.anbehav.2019.09.014",

language = "English",

volume = "158",

pages = "9--13",

journal = "Animal Behaviour",

issn = "0003-3472",

publisher = "Academic Press",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Risks and rewards

T2 - balancing costs and benefits of predator avoidance in a fiddler crab

AU - Gruber, Jodie

AU - Kahn, Andrew

AU - Backwell, Patricia R.Y.

PY - 2019/12

Y1 - 2019/12

N2 - The decision to take risks in the presence of a predator involves complex trade-offs between immediate survival and future reproduction. Individuals may gain fitness advantages if they are able to optimally alter their risk-taking strategies depending on the differential costs and benefits of risky behaviours across contexts. Male fiddler crabs (Austruca mjoebergi) exhibited a higher propensity to take risks in the presence of a female compared with conspecifics that were not presented with a female during both mating and nonmating periods. Contrary to predictions, however, risk-taking behaviour did not differ between mating and nonmating periods.

AB - The decision to take risks in the presence of a predator involves complex trade-offs between immediate survival and future reproduction. Individuals may gain fitness advantages if they are able to optimally alter their risk-taking strategies depending on the differential costs and benefits of risky behaviours across contexts. Male fiddler crabs (Austruca mjoebergi) exhibited a higher propensity to take risks in the presence of a female compared with conspecifics that were not presented with a female during both mating and nonmating periods. Contrary to predictions, however, risk-taking behaviour did not differ between mating and nonmating periods.

KW - cost–benefit ratio

KW - fiddler crab

KW - predator avoidance

KW - risk taking

KW - waiting game

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85074166233

U2 - 10.1016/j.anbehav.2019.09.014

DO - 10.1016/j.anbehav.2019.09.014

M3 - Article

SN - 0003-3472

VL - 158

SP - 9

EP - 13

JO - Animal Behaviour

JF - Animal Behaviour

ER -

Risks and rewards: balancing costs and benefits of predator avoidance in a fiddler crab

Abstract

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this