Group living has evolved as an adaptation to predation in many animal species. In a multitude of vertebrates, the tendency to aggregate varies with the risk of predation, but experimental evidence for this is less well known in invertebrates.
Here, we examine the tendency to aggregate in the freshwater amphipod Gammarus pulex in the absence and presence of predator fish odour.
Without fish odours, the gammarids showed no significant tendency to aggregate.
In contrast to this, in fish-conditioned water they significantly preferred to stay close to conspecifics.
Predation risk can, thus, influences gammarids social behavior.
Royal Society journal Biology Letters
Biology Letters publishes short, innovative and cutting-edge research articles and opinion pieces accessible to scientists from across the biological sciences. The journal is characterised by stringent peer-review, rapid publication and broad dissemination of succinct high-quality research communications.
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