Risk Assessment by Tessellated Darters, Etheostoma olmstedi

Abstract

The ability of prey animals to assess predation risks within their respective environments and to appropriately modify behaviors in response to potential threats provides individuals with a greater likelihood of survival. Heitman's (1989) threat sensitive predator avoidance hypothesis proposes that prey animals adjust survival behaviors in response to an assessment of risk. Lima and Bednekoff (1999) expanded on this concept with their development of the predation risk allocation hypothesis, suggesting prey animals adjust survival behaviors in response to an assessment of temporal variations of risk from a base level of predation. Survival is improved by limiting predator avoidance activities to a level that permits increased foraging and reproduction while still providing for reduced predation (Lima and Dill, 1990). The development of efficient risk assessment systems would therefore benefit individuals through natural selection.