Path integration error and adaptable search behaviors in a mantis shrimp

Abstract

AbstractMantis shrimp of the speciesNeogonodactylus oerstediioccupy small burrows in shallow waters throughout the Caribbean. These animals use path integration, a vector-based navigation strategy, to return to their homes while foraging. Here we report that path integration inN. oerstediiis prone to error accumulated during outward foraging paths and we describe the search behavior thatN. oerstediiemploys after it fails to locate its home following the route provided by its path integrator. This search behavior forms continuously expanding, non-oriented loops that are centered near the point of search initiation. The radius of this search is apparently scaled to the animal’s accumulated error during path integration, improving the effectiveness of the search. The search behaviors exhibited byN. oerstediibear a striking resemblance to search behaviors in other animals, offering potential avenues for the comparative examination of search behaviors and how they are optimized in disparate taxa.Summary StatementMantis shrimp use path integration, an error-prone navigational strategy, when travelling home. When path integration fails, mantis shrimp employ a stereotyped yet flexible search pattern to locate their homes.