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Stein Kaartvedt, Anders Røstad, Øyvind Fiksen, Webjørn Melle, Thomas Torgersen, Mari Tiseth Breien, Thor A. Klevjer
Piscivorous fish patrol krill swarms
Many species of krill (pelagic crustaceans) form swarms of great size, and thereby constitute a key component of offshore ecosystems. Kaartvedt, Røstad, Fiksen, Melle, Torgersen, Breien & Klevjer observed swarms of northern krill Meganyctiphanes norvegica being followed (patrolled) by large piscivorous fishes. They conclude that the swarms provide a feeding ground for large piscivores, which hunt for the smaller planktivorous fishes that prey upon the krill. In this way, the large fishes provide protection for the krill, according to the rule that 'the enemy of my enemy is my friend'. Thus, social aggregations of krill are 'hot spots' of predator–prey interactions at several trophic levels.
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