Kairomone versus visual response to a predator in Notropis heterolepis

Abstract

Fish use a number of methods to avoid detection by predators and survive. This study investigated two of these methods: visual detection of the predator and kairomones, a chemical given off by the predator that alerts the prey of its presence. We proposed to test the responses of Notropis heterolepis (Blacknose Shiners) to each of these stimuli given by predator Yellow Perch, Perca flavescens. We predicted that shiners would increase activity in response to the visual stimulus, and would decrease activity in response to the kairomone stimulus. We tested this question by exposing shiners to perch kairomones in one treatment, giving shiners a visual of the perch in another treatment, and monitoring their activity for both treatments. Our results showed no significant difference in the shiners’ response to visual versus kairomone stimuli.