1. Hermit crab response to a visual threat is sensitive to looming cues
- Author
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Shragai, Talya, Ping, Xiaoge, Arakaki, Cameron, Garlick, Dennis, Blumstein, Daniel T, and Blaisdell, Aaron P
- Subjects
Information and Computing Sciences ,Human-Centred Computing ,Hermit crab ,Anti-predator behavior ,Looming ,Biological Sciences ,Medical and Health Sciences - Abstract
Prior work in our lab has shown that an expanding image on a computer screen elicits a hiding response in the Caribbean terrestrial hermit crab (Coenobita clypeatus). We conducted two experiments to identify what properties of the expanding stimulus contribute to its effectiveness as a visual threat. First we found that an expanding geometric star evoked a strong hiding response while a contracting or full-sized stationary star did not. A second experiment revealed that the more quickly the stimulus expanded the shorter the latency to hide. These findings suggest that the anti-predator response to looming stimulus relies heavily on visual cues relating to the manner of approach. The simulated visual threat on a computer screen captures key features of a real looming object that elicits hiding behavior in crabs in the wild.
- Published
- 2017