Modeling predator-prey dynamics with stochastic differential equations: Patterns of collective hunting and nonlinear predation effects

We investigate predator–prey school interactions in aquatic environments using a stochastic differential equation (SDE)-based, particle-level model that incorporates attraction, repulsion, alignment, and environmental noise. Two predation strategies — center attack and nearest attack — are examined to assess their effects on prey survival, predator efficiency, and group dynamics. Simulations reveal diverse emergent behaviors such as prey dispersal and regrouping, oscillatory predation with collective defense, and predator encirclement. Results show that collective hunting enhances capture efficiency compared to solitary attacks, but benefits diminish beyond a critical predator group size due to intra-predator competition. This work provides new insights into cooperative predation and introduces a generalizable SDE framework for analyzing predator–prey interactions.