Behavioural interdependence in a shrimp‐goby mutualism

Abstract

AbstractThe partnership between non‐burrowing gobiid fishes and alpheid shrimps is one of the most remarkable interspecific mutualisms currently recognised in behavioural biology. The shrimp rely on tactile and chemical cues from their goby partners to warn them of approaching predators. In return, the shrimp construct and maintain the burrows which provide shelter for the goby. Although aspects of this relationship have been well studied, less is known about the interdependence of the two species’ activity patterns. We conducted field observations of an obligate shrimp‐goby mutualism, Ctenogobiops feroculus and its common shrimp partner Alpheus djeddensis. We found that individual gobies were consistent in their activity levels relative to conspecifics over a 3‐day period but were not consistent in terms of the time allocated to vigilance. Both the activity and the vigilance behaviour of the goby directly correlated with the behaviour of their shrimp partners; shrimp with a more active partner were themselves more active, and visibility of the shrimp increased as vigilance time increased. By quantifying the interactions between the two species, we have gained greater insights into the mechanistic underpinnings of these complex behavioural interactions.