Optimality Foraging

A detailed Summary of Optimality Foraging

This study was undertaken to experimentally test for evidence of optimal foraging in guppies, Poecilia reticulata. Foraging preferences of guppies feeding on brine shrimp were studied to make predictions about optimal diet breadth. First, the profitabilities (Engery intake/ handling times) were determined by testing the handling time of four size classes of guppies foraging on brine shrimp of sizes 2, 4, 6, and 8 mm. The following week, we tested whether guppies of various sizes prefer prey that return the greatest benefit. This was accomplished by arbitrarily placing brine shrimp of different sizes in various tanks with different size guppies. Our results did not support the optimal diet breadth theory.

All species must obtain some sort of nutrition in order to survive and reproduce. To do this, many animals must forage for their own food. Therefore, the energy used to forage could be energy used for other activities, such as mating. Thu

Week One: Frozen brine shrimp of 8 mm were cut up into measurements of 2, 4, 6, and 8 mm and used as prey, therefore having sizes of whole, three-quarters, half, and one quarter pieces. Guppies were assorted into four class sizes in which the difference between class sizes was around 5 mm. A measured fish was placed solely into a small aquarium that contained a single, selected size of brine shrimp. Handling time was recorded to be when the fish first began to eat the prey to when the fish actually swallowed the prey. This process was repeated using four fish of each size class recording the handling times of different prey size classes. A cut off time was set at 5 minutes (300 seconds) if the guppy had not eaten the prey item yet. The handling times, prey size, and predator size were used to calculate the optimal prey for each guppy size class.

Week Two: Three guppies of the same size class for the same four size classes from the first week were gathered. A small aqua

Some common words found in the essay are:
, Week Frozen, brine shrimp, size classes, handling times, size class, 8 mm, prey items, efficient foraging behaviors, size predator size, times prey size, 4 6, 6 8, maximize benefits costs, size prey, size predator, handling times prey,

Approximate Word count = 662
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: Science

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