Papers
2
Total Citations
130
H-Index
2
About
Arjun Nair is a leading figure in the biomechanics and sensory ecology of predator-prey interactions, with a particular focus on the remarkable escape behaviors of larval zebrafish. His research illuminates the split-second decisions that determine life or death in aquatic environments. In his highly influential 2014 paper (92 citations), Nair demonstrated that prey fish evade predators not by seeing the attacker directly, but by sensing the subtle water disturbances—the bow wave—created by the predator’s approach. This groundbreaking work revealed a previously unknown sensory mechanism for evasion. Building on this, his 2017 study (38 citations) showed that prey fish are not rigid in their escape strategy; instead, they dynamically alter their direction of flight based on the specific angle of the threat, choosing between maximizing speed or maximizing unpredictability. By combining high-speed imaging with behavioral assays, Nair has provided a quantitative, mechanistic understanding of survival, offering profound insights into the evolutionary arms race between predator and prey. His work is essential reading for students of animal behavior, neuroethology, and evolutionary biology.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
- 1Prey fish escape by sensing the bow wave of a predator92 citations · 2014
- 2Fish prey change strategy with the direction of a threat38 citations · 2017