The predator and prey behaviors of crabs: from ecology to neural adaptations

DANIEL TOMSIC; SZTARKER JULIETA; BERON DE ASTRADA MARTIN; DAMIAN OLIVA; LANZA ESTELA

JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BIOLOGY

COMPANY OF BIOLOGISTS LTD

Lugar: Cambridge; Año: 2017

0022-0949

Predator avoidance and prey capture are among the most vital of animal  behaviors. They require fast reactions controlled by comparatively straightforward  neural circuits often containing giant neurons, which facilitates their study with  electrophysiological techniques. Naturally occurring avoidance behaviors, in particular, can be easily and reliably evoked in the laboratory, making feasible their neurophysiological investigation. Studies in the laboratory alone, however,   can lead to a biased interpretation of an animal?s behavior in its natural  environment. In this Review, we describe current knowledge on the visually guided escape behavior of the crab Neohelice granulata, which has been acquired through  both laboratory and field studies. Analyses of the behavioral responses to visual  stimuli in the laboratory have revealed the main characteristics of the crab´s performance, such as the continuous regulation of the speed and direction of the  escape run, or the enduring changes in the strength of escape induced by learning   and memory. This work, in combination with neuroanatomical and  electrophysiological studies, has allowed the identification of various giant neurons, the activity of which reflects most essential aspects of the crabs? avoidance performance, including modulations and memory-related changes. In addition,  behavioral analyses performed in the natural environment show a complex picture,   revealing that crabs make use of much more information than that usually available in laboratory studies. Moreover, field studies have led to the discovery of a robust visually guided chasing behavior in Neohelice. Here, we describe similarities and  differences in the results obtained between the field and the laboratory, discuss the  sources of any differences and highlight the importance of combining the two  approaches.