The research team, led by Dr. Tom Pike from the School of Biological Sciences, used a custom-built robotic fish to mimic the behaviour of a prey fish. They then observed how real predatory fish, such as pike and bass, responded to the robotic fish's movements.
The results, published in the journal *Scientific Reports*, show that predatory fish use a combination of sensory cues to track and capture their prey. These cues include the prey's position, speed, and acceleration.
The scientists found that predatory fish were more successful at capturing prey when the robotic fish moved in a predictable manner. However, when the robotic fish moved in an unpredictable manner, the predatory fish were less successful.
This suggests that predatory fish rely on predictive models to track and capture their prey. When the prey moves in an unpredictable manner, the predatory fish's models are less accurate, and they are less successful at capturing the prey.
The research team believe that their findings could have implications for understanding how predatory fish interact with their prey in the wild. For example, the findings could help to explain why some prey species are more vulnerable to predation than others.
Dr. Pike said: "Our study shows that predatory fish use a combination of sensory cues to track and capture their prey. These cues include the prey's position, speed, and acceleration.
"Our findings also suggest that predatory fish rely on predictive models to track and capture their prey. When the prey moves in an unpredictable manner, the predatory fish's models are less accurate, and they are less successful at capturing the prey."
The research was funded by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC).
