Prey capture strategies relate to prey position in the scale-eating cichlid Perissodus microlepis

Predators have evolved sophisticated behavioral patterns that enable efficient prey capture. The scale-eating cichlid Perissodus microlepis exhibits pronounced morphological asymmetry in mouth-opening direction, corresponding to behavioral laterality in attack direction. Given that recognizing and tracking the flank of prey are crucial for successful predation, we hypothesized that the morphological asymmetry also influences their spatial positioning relative to prey during attack initiation. To test this idea, we simultaneously tracked predator and prey movements using DeepLabCut and analyzed the predatory sequence. Not only strike direction but also the lateralized approach initiation position was correlated with mouth asymmetry. Additionally, trajectory analyses revealed two distinct predation strategies based on the predator's relative position to the prey at the start of the approach: a rear approach, whereby predators move in from behind and strike at close range with strong body flexion, and a side approach, whereby predators initiate from lateral positions at shorter distances and rush forward. Although rear and side attacks differ in their kinematics and strike timing, both strategies achieve high predation success by applying strong forces to the prey's flank. Overall, this study advances our understanding of the predation strategies of scale-eating cichlids, providing insights into their evolutionary significance.