Chemically mediated predator inspection behaviour in the absence of predator visual cues by a characin fish

摘要: Abstract Animals commonly approach (i.e. ‘inspect’) potential predators. Glowlight tetras, Hemigrammus erythrozonus , have previously been shown to inspect the combined chemical and visual cues originating from novel predators modify their inspection (approach) behaviour depending upon predator's diet. We conducted two experiments determine whether tetras would of injured prey or dietary a predator in absence any cues. Shoals glowlight were exposed either distilled water (control) skin extract swordtail (lacking ostariophysan alarm pheromones) tetra (with pheromones). There was no significant difference frequency towards compared controls. In second experiment, we shoals odour Jack Dempsey cichlids, Cichlasoma octofasciatum which had food deprived, fed diet swordtails tetras. starved cichlids treatments. However, when they took significantly longer initiate an visit, remained further source inspected smaller groups, with cichlid swordtails. These data strongly suggest that will alone, but only if cue contains information about predator.