caa a22 4500 606226737 CHVBK 20210128101154.0 cr unu---uuuuu 210128e20150101xx s 000 0 eng 10.1007/s10641-014-0235-x doi (NATIONALLICENCE)springer-10.1007/s10641-014-0235-x Effects of turbidity and habitat complexity on antipredator behavior of three-spined sticklebacks ( Gasterosteus aculeatus ) [Elektronische Daten] Antipredator behavior in sticklebacks [M. Ajemian, S. Sohel, J. Mattila] Human-induced processes like eutrophication are increasing water turbidity and altering vegetated habitats in the Baltic Sea. Unfortunately, the influence of these environmental changes on predator-prey interactions remains poorly studied in mobile taxa of this region. We used three-spined stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus) as a model species to study the combined effects of turbidity and shoot density on habitat choice (shelter vs. open) in the presence and absence of piscivorous perch (Perca fluviatilis). Habitat choice of sticklebacks was video-monitored and compared between two paired observation periods: "control” (no predator) and "risk” (predator present). Though sticklebacks exhibited a general preference for sheltered habitat across treatments, repeated measures ANOVA found that sticklebacks responded to predator presence by significantly increasing use of the sheltered habitat. However, shoot density of the shelter interacted with observation period, where risk-induced shifts of sticklebacks into sheltered habitat were most apparent and sustained at higher shoot densities. Stickleback activity level was generally reduced with predator presence at higher turbidity and shoot density levels, suggesting a possible adaptation to reduce predator encounter rates in visually deteriorated conditions. Overall, our study demonstrates that relatively minute increases (1's - 10's of NTU) in algal turbidity intensify three-spined stickleback sheltered habitat use, but vegetation density may still play a larger role in avoiding predators at these turbidity levels. When compared with a similar study on 0+ perch, our work suggests that eutrophication (i.e., increased turbidity, loss of habitat complexity) may have variable, taxon- and/or habitat-specific effects on predator-prey interactions of the Baltic Sea. Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht, 2014 Antipredator behavior nationallicence Baltic Sea nationallicence Seagrass nationallicence Three-spined stickleback nationallicence Turbidity nationallicence Ajemian M. Department of Marine Sciences, University of South Alabama, 36688, Mobile, AL, USA aut Sohel S. Husö Biological Station, Åbo Akademi University, Artillerigatan 6, 20520, Åbo, Finland aut Mattila J. Husö Biological Station, Åbo Akademi University, Artillerigatan 6, 20520, Åbo, Finland aut Environmental Biology of Fishes Springer Netherlands 98/1(2015-01-01), 45-55 0378-1909 98:1<45 2015 98 10641 https://doi.org/10.1007/s10641-014-0235-x text/html Onlinezugriff via DOI BK010053 XK010053 XK010000 Metadata rights reserved Springer special CC-BY-NC licence nationallicence 1 research-article jats NATIONALLICENCE NATIONALLICENCE NL-springer NATIONALLICENCE 856 40 https://doi.org/10.1007/s10641-014-0235-x text/html Onlinezugriff via DOI NATIONALLICENCE 700 1- Ajemian M. Department of Marine Sciences, University of South Alabama, 36688, Mobile, AL, USA aut NATIONALLICENCE 700 1- Sohel S. Husö Biological Station, Åbo Akademi University, Artillerigatan 6, 20520, Åbo, Finland aut NATIONALLICENCE 700 1- Mattila J. Husö Biological Station, Åbo Akademi University, Artillerigatan 6, 20520, Åbo, Finland aut NATIONALLICENCE 773 0- Environmental Biology of Fishes Springer Netherlands 98/1(2015-01-01), 45-55 0378-1909 98:1<45 2015 98 10641