fox-whitesharksexploit-2015.pdf (620.43 kB)
White sharks exploit the sun during predatory approaches
journal contribution
posted on 2015-04-01, 00:00 authored by C Huveneers, D Holman, R Robbins, A Fox, John EndlerJohn Endler, A H TaylorThere is no conclusive evidence of any nonhuman animal using the sun as part of its predation strategy. Here, we show that the world's largest predatory fish-the white shark (Carcharodon carcharias)-exploits the sun when approaching baits by positioning the sun directly behind them. On sunny days, sharks reversed their direction of approach along an east-west axis from morning to afternoon but had uniformly distributed approach directions during overcast conditions. These results show that white sharks have sufficient behavioral flexibility to exploit fluctuating environmental features when predating. This sun-tracking predation strategy has a number of potential functional roles, including improvement of prey detection, avoidance of retinal overstimulation, and predator concealment.
History
Journal
American NaturalistVolume
185Issue
4Pagination
562 - 570Publisher
University of Chicago PressLocation
Chicago, Ill.Publisher DOI
ISSN
1537-5323Language
engPublication classification
C Journal article; C1 Refereed article in a scholarly journalCopyright notice
2015, University of Chicago PressUsage metrics
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No categories selectedKeywords
Science & TechnologyLife Sciences & BiomedicineEcologyEvolutionary BiologyEnvironmental Sciences & EcologyCarcharodon carchariasbehavioral flexibilityconcealmenthiding strategypredation strategyprey detectionARCTOCEPHALUS-PUSILLUS-PUSILLUSCALEDONIAN CROWSSOUTH-AFRICAFORAGING BEHAVIORPREY INTERACTIONSLIGHT-INTENSITYWHALE CARCASSSEAL ISLANDCALIFORNIAprey detection.CARCHARODON-CARCHARIASSOLVEVIGILANCEFLIGHT
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