The effect of temporally variable environmental stimuli and group size on emergence behavior

Lay Summary Colonies of humbug damselfish change their behavioral response to a predation threat in accordance with the tide. The majority of work in animal decision making centers on individuals; however, animals are affected by the movements of their near neighbors. Moreover, although environmental factors affecting decision making vary spatially within habitats, the role of temporal variation of environmental factors has been relatively ignored. This study addresses both of these issues in a manipulative field experiment.