Dazzle camouflage and the confusion effect: the influence of varying speed on target tracking

Hogan, Benedict G.; Cuthill, Innes C.; Scott‐Samuel, Nicholas E.

doi:10.1016/j.anbehav.2016.11.022

Cited by 19 publications

(24 citation statements)

References 31 publications

(51 reference statements)

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Belonging to a larger group and being closer together, therefore, is perhaps sufficient in reducing individual risk through dilution and selfish herd effects during relatively brief predator encounters in this system. In addition, larger, more cohesive, but not necessarily more aligned groups, can increase the confusion effect making it more difficult for a predator to isolate prey [ 38 , 52 , 53 ]. An interesting area of research could be to compare the behaviour of fish from high or low predation populations in the presence or absence of predators, or when exposed to different types of predators (e.g.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

How predation shapes the social interaction rules of shoaling fish

et al. 2017

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Predation is thought to shape the macroscopic properties of animal groups, making moving groups more cohesive and coordinated. Precisely how predation has shaped individuals' fine-scale social interactions in natural populations, however, is unknown. Using high-resolution tracking data of shoaling fish (Poecilia reticulata) from populations differing in natural predation pressure, we show how predation adapts individuals' social interaction rules. Fish originating from high predation environments formed larger, more cohesive, but not more polarized groups than fish from low predation environments. Using a new approach to detect the discrete points in time when individuals decide to update their movements based on the available social cues, we determine how these collective properties emerge from individuals' microscopic social interactions. We first confirm predictions that predation shapes the attraction–repulsion dynamic of these fish, reducing the critical distance at which neighbours move apart, or come back together. While we find strong evidence that fish align with their near neighbours, we do not find that predation shapes the strength or likelihood of these alignment tendencies. We also find that predation sharpens individuals' acceleration and deceleration responses, implying key perceptual and energetic differences associated with how individuals move in different predation regimes. Our results reveal how predation can shape the social interactions of individuals in groups, ultimately driving differences in groups' collective behaviour.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

How predation shapes the social interaction rules of shoaling fish

et al. 2017

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Motion of background objects such as foliage (Ord et al, 2007;Peters, Hemmi & Zeil, 2007;New & Peters, 2010) or rapidly changing illumination (Matchette, Cuthill & Scott-Samuel, 2018) can both mask movement. Moving as part of a group, as well as the well-recognized benefits of aggregation per se (Krause & Ruxton, 2002), can be safer because matching both background and group-mates reduces the efficiency with which predators can single out one animal for attack (Hall et al, 2013(Hall et al, , 2017Hogan et al, 2016aHogan et al, ,b, 2017.…”

Section: Movementmentioning

confidence: 99%

Camouflage

2019

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Animal camouflage has long been used to illustrate the power of natural selection, and provides an excellent testbed for investigating the trade‐offs affecting the adaptive value of colour. However, the contemporary study of camouflage extends beyond evolutionary biology, co‐opting knowledge, theory and methods from sensory biology, perceptual and cognitive psychology, computational neuroscience and engineering. This is because camouflage is an adaptation to the perception and cognition of the species (one or more) from which concealment is sought. I review the different ways in which camouflage manipulates and deceives perceptual and cognitive mechanisms, identifying how, and where in the sequence of signal processing, strategies such as transparency, background matching, disruptive coloration, distraction marks, countershading and masquerade have their effects. As such, understanding how camouflage evolves and functions not only requires an understanding of animal sensation and cognition, it sheds light on perception in other species.

show abstract

“…Disruptive colouration provides concealment from prey when predators are stationary, moving slowly (stalking) or moving quickly (chasing). Highly contrasting and disruptive patterns have also been shown to alter an observer's perception of the speed and trajectory of moving objects (Thayer, 1909; Stevens et al ., 2008; Scott‐Samuel et al ., 2011; Hughes, Troscianko & Stevens, 2014; Hall et al ., 2016; Hogan, Cuthill & Scott‐Samuel, 2017). This has been described as ‘motion dazzle’ camouflage (Hogan, Cuthill & Scott‐Samuel, 2016 a , b ).…”

Section: Pursuit Predatorsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For example, Hogan et al . (2017) found that artificial prey targets with stripes parallel to their direction of movement impeded the tracking of one target among many, and that this effect interacted positively with increases in group size. This process could benefit group‐hunting predators, such as the spotted hyena ( Crocuta crocuta ) (Watts & Holekamp, 2007), by reducing the ability of prey to determine predator trajectories successfully, thus increasing the likelihood of interception.…”

Section: Pursuit Predatorsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Camouflage in predators

Smith

Ruxton

2020

Biological Reviews

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Camouflage – adaptations that prevent detection and/or recognition – is a key example of evolution by natural selection, making it a primary focus in evolutionary ecology and animal behaviour. Most work has focused on camouflage as an anti‐predator adaptation. However, predators also display specific colours, patterns and behaviours that reduce visual detection or recognition to facilitate predation. To date, very little attention has been given to predatory camouflage strategies. Although many of the same principles of camouflage studied in prey translate to predators, differences between the two groups (in motility, relative size, and control over the time and place of predation attempts) may alter selection pressures for certain visual and behavioural traits. This makes many predatory camouflage techniques unique and rarely documented. Recently, new technologies have emerged that provide a greater opportunity to carry out research on natural predator–prey interactions. Here we review work on the camouflage strategies used by pursuit and ambush predators to evade detection and recognition by prey, as well as looking at how work on prey camouflage can be applied to predators in order to understand how and why specific predatory camouflage strategies may have evolved. We highlight that a shift is needed in camouflage research focus, as this field has comparatively neglected camouflage in predators, and offer suggestions for future work that would help to improve our understanding of camouflage.

show abstract

Dazzle camouflage and the confusion effect: the influence of varying speed on target tracking

Cited by 19 publications

References 31 publications

How predation shapes the social interaction rules of shoaling fish

How predation shapes the social interaction rules of shoaling fish

Camouflage

Camouflage in predators

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About