Pike 120
The pike is a common freshwater predator, but it’s choice of prey has puzzled biologists. In theory, big fish like pike should go for proportionately big prey - but they take smaller fish than predicted. Now, research by P.Anders Nilsson and Christer Bronmark of Lund University, Sweden, has found an explanation, writes Richard Northover. Pike sometimes resort to cannibalism and kleptoparasitism (stealing each other’s prey) when conditions are difficult. By watching pike tackling different-sized prey while in the prescence of other pike, the scientists found that those who try to take larger, harder to catch, prey leave themselves vulnerable to attack. To avoid losing their catch - or worse - pike make sure they don’t bite off more than they can handle.
(Behavioural Ecology vol.10, p557-66)