Variable crab camouflage patterns defeat search image formation

Jolyon Troscianko; Ossi Nokelainen; John Skelhorn; Martin Stevens

doi:10.1038/s42003-021-01817-8

Communications Biology (Mar 2021)

Variable crab camouflage patterns defeat search image formation

Jolyon Troscianko,
Ossi Nokelainen,
John Skelhorn,
Martin Stevens

Affiliations

Jolyon Troscianko: Centre for Ecology and Conservation, College of Life and Environmental Science, University of Exeter
Ossi Nokelainen: Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä
John Skelhorn: Biosciences Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University
Martin Stevens: Centre for Ecology and Conservation, College of Life and Environmental Science, University of Exeter

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-021-01817-8
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 4, no. 1
pp. 1 – 9

Abstract

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Troscianko et al. use a citizen science online game to investigate how humans learn to overcome the natural camouflage of green shore crabs. They found that switching between crab types increased detection times, and the task was made even more difficult when patterns interfered with the crab’s outlines, helping to explain how variability in appearance can hinder predator search image formation.

Published in Communications Biology

ISSN: 2399-3642 (Online)
Publisher: Nature Portfolio
Country of publisher: United Kingdom
LCC subjects: Science: Biology (General)
Website: https://www.nature.com/commsbio/

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