Data from: Reciprocal behavioral plasticity and behavioral types during predator-prey interactions

How predators and prey interact has important consequences for population dynamics and community stability. Here we explored how predator-prey interactions are simultaneously affected by reciprocal behavioral plasticity (i.e., plasticity in prey defenses countered by plasticity in predator offenses and vice versa) and consistent individual behavioral variation (i.e., behavioral types) within both predator and prey populations. We assessed the behavior of a predator species (northern pike) and a prey species (three-spined stickleback) during one-on-one encounters. We also measured additional behavioral and morphological traits in each species. Using structural equation modeling, we found that reciprocal behavioral plasticity as well as predator and prey behavioral types influenced how individuals behaved during an interaction. Thus, the progression and ultimate outcome of predator-prey interactions depend on both the dynamic behavioral feedback occurring during the encounter and the underlying behavioral type of each participant. We also examined whether predator behavioral type is underlain by differences in metabolism and organ size. We provide some of the first evidence that behavioral type is related to resting metabolic rate and size of a sensory organ (the eyes). Understanding the extent to which reciprocal behavioral plasticity and intraspecific behavioral variation influence the outcome of species interactions could provide insight into the maintenance of behavioral variation as well as community dynamics.

捕食者与猎物的相互作用方式，对种群动态及群落稳定性具有重要影响。本研究探讨了捕食者与猎物种群内部同时存在的两类特征如何共同调控捕食者-猎物相互作用：一是双向行为可塑性（即猎物防御行为的可塑性可被捕食者攻击行为的可塑性抵消，反之亦然），二是稳定的个体行为变异（即行为型）。我们通过一对一互动实验，评估了捕食者物种（白斑狗鱼（northern pike））与猎物物种（三刺鱼（three-spined stickleback））的行为表现，同时测定了两个物种的其他行为学与形态学性状。借助结构方程模型（structural equation modeling）分析，我们发现双向行为可塑性以及捕食者与猎物的行为型，均会影响个体在互动过程中的行为表现。因此，捕食者-猎物相互作用的进程与最终结局，既取决于互动过程中产生的动态行为反馈，也取决于每个参与者的固有行为型。我们还探究了捕食者行为型是否与其代谢水平及器官大小差异存在关联，本研究提供了首批实证证据之一，表明行为型与静息代谢率（resting metabolic rate）以及感觉器官（眼部）的大小相关。明晰双向行为可塑性与种内行为变异对物种种间相互作用结果的影响程度，可为理解行为变异的维持机制以及群落动态提供理论参考。