DOI: 10.5061/dryad.tdz08kqbt
title: Data from: Camouflage in motion: Testing for background choice in a stalking predator (lionfish, <em>Pterois miles</em>)

description: Predation is pervasive in the natural world, where predators and prey have
 evolved spectacular mechanisms to avoid detection and recognition. An
 example is camouflage through background matching, which allows animals to
 resemble their background. Animals can move strategically towards
 backgrounds that match their morphology (background choice) to enhance
 camouflage. We studied the relevance of background choice in lionfish
 (Pterois miles), conspicuous stalking predators that could take advantage
 of background matching by resembling corals and other invertebrates in
 their surroundings. We offered different background combinations to
 hunting lionfish, and we found that they indeed account for their
 background while hunting, although the response did not support the
 hypothesis of background matching. Lionfish deviated towards a rocky
 background, which closely resembled the substrate where lionfish were
 caught (rocky reefs in the Mediterranean Sea). Remaining close to a rocky
 reef while hunting could offer lionfish easy access to hiding spots and
 higher prey availability. Future studies should test for the relevance of
 mimicking inanimate objects and dazzle camouflage, which have been
 suggested to explain the unique hunting strategy of lionfish. These
 studies will contribute to topics where empirical evidence is scarce: the
 benefits of camouflage in predators and camouflage in moving animals.
description: # Data from: Camouflage in motion: Testing for background choice in a
 stalking predator (lionfish, *Pterois miles*) Dataset DOI:
 [10.5061/dryad.tdz08kqbt](https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.tdz08kqbt) ##
 Description of the data and file structure The data was collected
 according to the methods described in the publication. ### Files and
 variables #### File: Coral_blue_experiment_raw_data.csv
 **Description:** contains the raw data collected for the coral-blue
 experiment. ##### Variables * Analysis: a unique name (code) for each
 trial. * Date: the date in which a trial took place. *
 Background_left_side: the pattern of the background on the left side of
 the apparatus when looked at with the prey jar at the top of a video and
 the entrance of the apparatus at the bottom. * Name: the name of the
 lionfish that participated in a given trial. * Trial: a numeric
 representation if the variable ‘Analysis’. * hours: the time of the day at
 which a trial started. * Strike/No Strike: a variable indicating whether a
 trial ended with a strike or not. * Total Body Length: the total length of
 the lionfish participating in a trial (cm). * Weight: the body weight of a
 lionfish participating in a trial (g).  * time: the time from the start of
 a trial (s).  * Frame nr: the video frame from which coordinates were
 measured. * X_LF: the X coordinate of a lionfish in a given frame (cm). *
 Y_LF: the Y coordinate of a lionfish in a given frame (cm). * Angle: the
 body angle of a lionfish in a given frame (degrees). * X_Sa: the X
 coordinate of the prey in a given frame (cm). * Y_Sa: the Y coordinate of
 the prey in a given frame (cm). #### File:
 Lionfish_camouflage_data_analysis_publication.R **Description:** contains
 the whole script used for data analysis. #### File:
 Support_functions_lionfish_camouflage.R **Description:** contains support
 functions used for the data analysis. #### File:
 Multiple_backgrounds_experiment_raw_data.csv **Description:** contains the
 raw data collected for the multiple-backgrounds experiment. #####
 Variables * trial: a progressive name assigned to each trial in the
 experiment. * LF.x: the X coordinate of a lionfish in a given frame (cm).
 * LF.y: the Y coordinate of a lionfish in a given frame (cm). *
 LF.angle: the body angle of a lionfish in a given frame (degrees). *
 prey.y: the Y coordinate of the prey in a given frame (cm). *
 background: the treatment (i.e., combination of background) in a trial. *
 day: the date in which a trial took place. * time_class: the time of the
 day at which a trial took place. * id: the name of the lionfish that
 participated in a given trial (if ids are missing cells were left blank) *
 strike: a variable indicating whether a trial ended with a strike or not.
 * state: additional information on whether a lionfish reached the prey jar
 or not. ## Code/software R version 4.4.1 (2024-06-14). ## Access
 information Other publicly accessible locations of the data: * NA Data was
 derived from the following sources: * NA