Inter-Specific Interactions

Abstract

A disadvantage of the small adult size of the sticklebacks is that throughout their lifespan they are the potential prey of a wide variety of predators. Although there is considerable qualitative information on the ecology of predation on sticklebacks, there is inadequate quantitative information so that the impact of predation on stickleback populations has still to be assessed. This lack of quantitative information is particularly unfortunate because evidence is accumulating that predation is probably a major selective factor in the evolution of the extensive intra- and inter-population variation found in several stickleback species (Chapter 10).