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Predation behaviour of the European squid Loligo vulgaris Alejandro Carreño Castilla1   · Jorge Hernández‑Urcera2   · Adam Gouraguine1   · Ángel Guerra2   · Miguel Cabanellas‑Reboredo1,3  Received: 9 October 2019 / Accepted: 14 May 2020 © Japan Ethological Society 2020

Abstract To improve limited knowledge of the predation behaviour of the loliginid species, this study is the first to examine the hunting and feeding behaviour of Loligo vulgaris. Hunting and feeding strategy, as well as body patterning of the squid were described in laboratory experiments during which, two prey types, characterised by different size and mobility (prawn and fish), were offered to the squid. According to the type and distance of the prey, three hunting strategies were observed: to seize larger, farthest and high-mobility prey (fish), squid used tentacles as the main predatory tool (tentacular lunge attack); squid conducted an arm-opening attack to capture smaller and less mobile prey (prawn), but a mixed-strategy using both arms and tentacles was executed when the prawn was further away. Once captured, prawns were consumed alive, while the squid administered a lethal bite to the fish prior to consumption. Fish were always eaten in head-caudal fin direction. Sizefeeding strategy differences were also observed. Largest squid ate faster and consumed the entire prey, while smaller squid rejected certain parts of the fish prey. Better prey-handling skills and larger feeding apparatus (e.g., beak) of larger squid (older/experienced individuals) are the likely causes. Finally, a prey-specific body pattern was performed depending on the prey exigency levels. Keywords  Cephalopods · Prey-specific hunting strategy · Predation tools · Feeding strategy · Body patterning · Handling skills

Introduction The concept of predation is broad. At the most basic level, predation is defined as a biological process during which one organism, the predator, captures (hunts), kills and eats other organisms, the prey (Abrams 2000; Stevens 2010). This ecological interaction occurs with the main objective Electronic supplementary material  The online version of this article (https​://doi.org/10.1007/s1016​4-020-00652​-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users. * Alejandro Carreño Castilla [email protected] 1



Centro Oceanográfico de Baleares, Instituto Español de Oceanografía (IEO), Muelle de Poniente s/n, 07015 Palma de Mallorca, Spain

2



Department of Ecology and Marine Resources, Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas (CSIC), Eduardo Cabello 6, 36208 Vigo, Spain

3

Instituto Mediterráneo de Estudios Avanzados (IMEDEA; CSIC-UIB), Illes Balears, Esporles, Spain



of feeding to survive. To achieve this essential goal, species deploy a wide range of hunting strategies. Prey capture strategies range from simple, such as those carried out by protists (Sherr and Sherr 2002) or carnivorous plants [predation traps, (Lloyd 1942)], to highly complex, involving social interaction for hunting in groups (e.g.,