Changes in feeding behavior of longfin squid (Doryteuthis pealeii) during laboratory exposure to pile driving noise.

Anthropogenic noise can cause diverse changes in animals' behaviors, but effects on feeding behaviors are understudied, especially for key invertebrate taxa. With the offshore wind industry expanding, concern exists regarding potential impacts of pile driving noise on squid and other commercially and ecologically vital taxa. We investigated changes in feeding and alarm (defense) behaviors of squid , Doryteuthis pealeii, predating on killifish, Fundulus heteroclitus, during playbacks of pile driving noise recorded from wind farm construction within squids' habitat. Fewer squid captured killifish during noise exposure compared to controls. Squid had more failed predation attempts when noise was started during predation sequences. Alarm responses to noise were similar whether or not squid were hunting killifish, indicating similar vigilance to threat stimuli in these contexts. Additionally, novel hearing measurements on F. heteroclitus confirmed they could detect the noise. These results indicate noise can disrupt feeding behaviors of a key invertebrate species, and will leverage future studies on how noise may disrupt squids' vital ecological interactions. • Squid less likely to capture killifish prey during pile driving noise. • Squid more likely to miss attacks and abandoned pursuit of prey during noise. • Alarm responses of squid to noise similar when hunting versus prey hidden. • Latency to prey capture negatively correlated with prey mobility level. • Novel hearing measurements of killifish indicate they could detect the noise. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]