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1.
Average summer densities of the xanthid crab,Eurytium limosum, in an intertidal salt marsh on Sapelo Island, Georgia were in the range of 7.5 to 80.0 individuals m?2. Crab densities were lowest in wet, lowlying marsh and highest in well-drained creekbank and mussel mound habitats. An analysis of crab stomach contents indicated that feeding occurred mostly around high tide, especially at night. Although the diet included some plant material,Eurytium limosum is primarily predatory and consumed crabs, polychaetes, ostracods, bivalves, and snails. In the laboratory, under simulated low-tide field conditions, both small (11–15 mm carapace width) and large (20–37 mm CW)Eurytium could capture and consume young killifish (Fundulus heteroclitus). Large crabs consumed the entire size range (7–19 mm total length) of larval/juvenile fish offered, but small crabs did not prey upon fish >11.5 mm TL. The potential importance ofE. limosum as a predator on young killifish may not be realized in the field because alternative prey are available and the crabs feed primarily at high tide, when young killifish are dispersed in the water column and are less vulnerable to benthic predators. 相似文献
2.
Kirt E. Moody 《Estuaries and Coasts》2003,26(3):759-764
Blue crabsCallinectes sapidus in lower Chesapeake Bay are subject to high rates of predation during the late summer of their first year of growth as they
migrate out of vegetated nursery habitats. Predators, potentially contributing to this pattern, were identified in video-recorded
field observations of tethered juvenile crabs (20–25 mm carapace width). Predators were also tested in large laboratory tanks
containing similarly-sized untethered crabs as prey. Seven different predators attacked tethered crabs in the field. Only
two predators, larger blue crabs and northern puffers,Sphoeroides maculatus, consistently succeeded in preying on crabs in both field and laboratory settings. These results confirm the importance of
cannibalism on juvenile blue crabs and identify puffers as a potentially overlooked source of predation pressure. 相似文献
3.
Although top-down control of plant growth has been shown in a variety of marine systems, it is widely thought to be unimportant in salt marshes. Recent caging experiments in Virginia and Georgia have challenged this notion and shown that the dominant marsh grazer (the periwinkle,Littoraria irrorata) not only suppresses plant growth, but can denude marsh substrate at high densities. In these same marshes, our field observations suggest that the black-clawed mud crab,Panopeus herbstii, is an abundant and potentially important top-down determinant of periwinkle density. No studies have quantitatively examinedPanopeus distribution or trophic interactions in marsh systems, and its potential impacts on community structure remained unexplored. We investigated distribution and feeding habits ofPanopeus in eight salt marshes along the Mid-Atlantic seashore (Delaware-North Carolina). We found that mud crabs were abundant in tall (4–82 ind m?2), intermediate (0–15 ind m?2), and short-form (0–5 ind m?2)Spartina alterniflora zones in all marshes and that crab densities were negatively correlated with tidal height and positively correlated with bivalve density. Excavation of crab lairs r?utinely produced shells of plant-grazing snails (up to 36 lair?1) and bivalves. Lab experiments confirmed that mud crabs readily consume these abundant marsh molluscs. To experimentally examine potential community effects of observed predation patterns, we manipulated crab and periwinkle densities in a 1-mo field experiment. Results showed thatPanopeus can suppress gastropod abundance and that predation rates increase with increasing snail density. In turn, crab suppression of snail density reduces grazing intensity on salt marsh cordgrass, suggesting presence of a trophic cascade. These results indicate that this previously under-appreciated consumer is an important and indirect determinant of community structure and contribute to a growing body of evidence challenging the long-standing notion that consumers play a minor role in regulating marsh plant growth. 相似文献
4.
Much effort has been directed recently at restoring marshes, by the removal of the invasive common reed,Phragmites australis, yet it is not clear how fish and invertebrates have responded either to the invasion ofPhragmites or to marsh restoration. The blue crab,Callinectes sapidus, uses marsh habitats during much of its benthic life. We investigated the response of blue crabs toPhragmites invasion and restoration efforts by comparing crab abundance (catch per unit effort), mean size and size frequency distribution,
sex ratio, and molting of crabs in three physically similar areas differing in marsh vegetation;Spartina-dominated,Phragmites-dominated, and a treated area (Phragmites removed and now dominated bySpartina) in one marsh in the upper portion of Delaware Bay. Field sampling occurred monthly (April to November) from 1999 to 2001
using replicate daytime otter trawls in large marsh creeks. Crabs were categorized by carapace width into recruits (<30 mm),
juveniles (30–115 mm), and adults (>115 mm). Juveniles dominated the system, representing 69.4% of all crabs. Similar monthly
increases in mean size and molting patterns during the growing season (May–August) occurred inSpartina (natural and treated sites) andPhragmites sites suggesting that, subtidal habitats, used for molting, in these areas do not differ. More juveniles in the feeding molt
stage (i.e., intermolt) than in other molt stages and more recruits predominantly in the feeding molt stage than adults were
inSpartina, suggesting differences in the marsh surfaces used as feeding habitats withSpartina being preferred. Sex ratios of each life history stage were skewed towards males, but this was related to the low salinity
of Alloway Creek, rather than marsh surface vegetation. Our results suggest that marsh surface vegetation influences the way
blue crabs use marsh surface habitats, thus restoration efforts focusing on changing vegetation type may have a positive influence
on blue crabs. 相似文献
5.
Beach-cast wrack of marine origin is considered a spatial subsidy to the marine-terrestrial transition zone. We found that
the wrack line on sand and gravel beaches of Vancouver Island was frequented by intertidal purple shore crabs,Hemigrapsus nudus (Dana 1851) and densely colonized by detritivorous talitrid amphipods. Amphipods spend the day buried in sand and forage
on beach wrack during the night.H. nudus were found in supratidal wrack putches immediately after nightly high tides in field censuses, but spent most of the day
and ebb tides either submerged subtidally or hidden underneath intertidal rocks and boulders. In feeding trials, intertidal
shore crabs were capable of preying on talitrid amphipods. We considerH. nudus an omnivore feeding on both fresh and decaying macroalgae as well as animal prey. Although living supratidally, amphipods
were significantly preferred over intertidal littorine snails by foraging shore crabs. Handling time of amphipods was significantly
shorter than for littorine snails. While amphipods had a reduced risk of predation byH. nudus when buried in the sand, foraging undern eath wrack patches did not reduce predation pressure on amphipods by shore crabs.
Rates of amphipod consumption by shore crabs were higher at darkness than daylight. In addition to an apparent day-night rhythm,
tidal height and time elapsed since previous high tide had a significant influence on shore crab density wrack. We conclude
that beach-cast wrack acts as a spatial subsidy by virtue of providing a valuable food source to talitrid amphipods, which
are in turn consumed by shore crabs that ride the nightly high tide into supratidal wrack patches to reduce the risk of passing
bare sand on theiry way to a feeding habitat rich in valuable prey. 相似文献
6.
An increasing number of examples suggest that interactions among introduced species are ecologically important and relevant to the management of invaded systems. We investigated the potential for the introduced cephalaspidean sea slug Philine orientalis to interfere with the feeding of the introduced European green crab (Carcinus maenas) and the native Dungeness crab (Cancer magister). We observed co-occurrence of crab species and P. orientalis at field sites in Bodega Harbor and Tomales, San Pablo, and San Francisco Bays. In laboratory and field experiments, we determined whether crab feeding was suppressed by P. orientalis and the duration of this suppression for individual crabs. We also used foraging response models to explore changes in the feeding rate of crabs with varying densities of P. orientalis and small bivalve prey. We found that P. orientalis deterred predation by green and Dungeness crabs on small clams in laboratory feeding trials, but not in field experiments with green crabs and P. orientalis. Foraging models predicted that P. orientalis would only affect crab feeding in the field under specific conditions of crab, P. orientalis, and prey densities. These foraging models bridged an important gap between lab and field experiments and allowed us to predict how changes in species abundances at two trophic levels might alter the importance of crab suppression by P. orientalis. 相似文献
7.
Predation is likely the primary source of mortality for juvenile penaeid shrimp and, therefore, a key factor driving their population dynamics. We sampled juvenile penaeids and their potential predators in a salt marsh from July to August 2012 to examine the impact of these predators and possible size-selective predation on the shrimp population. We quantified predator impact using the frequency of occurrence (FO) index and a relative predation index (RPI) that accounts for predator abundance and the number of shrimp consumed per individual predator. Size selectivity was assessed by comparing the size distribution of shrimp in the study area to the size distribution of shrimp removed from predator stomachs. Two penaeid species, white shrimp Litopenaeus setiferus and brown shrimp Farfantepenaeus aztecus, were collected, and most (86%) were juvenile white shrimp ≤?12 mm carapace length. Spotted seatrout Cynoscion nebulosus, which consumed relatively large shrimp, was the most important predator based on the FO index. Bay whiff Citharichthys spilopterus, which ate the smallest shrimp, was the most important predator based on the RPI. The size distribution of shrimp removed from predator stomachs differed from those collected in the study area; the smallest shrimp were disproportionally more abundant in predator stomachs. Using the RPI, we identified some potentially important predators (e.g., bay whiff) that may impact shrimp populations by consuming the smallest shrimp in estuarine nurseries. Our approach could be useful for examining predator impacts on other populations of juvenile penaeids and more generally for any prey consumed by fish predators. 相似文献
8.
W. J. Kimmerer 《Estuaries and Coasts》1993,16(2):264-272
Spatial patterns of abundance of the zooplankton of Tomales Bay, California, were studied over one year from August 1987 to September 1988. Samples were taken on six transects up the long axis of the bay, and the species composition and abundance of common species were determined. Distribution patterns were similar to those observed in other estuaries and bays, with species from nearby neritic waters occurring in the outer bay and a few resident species in the inner bay. This pattern may be best explained by size-selective predation within the bay. Most alternative explanations can be ruled out for Tomales Bay, except for possible temperature effects on cool-temperate neritic species. The four common species ofAcartia in Tomales Bay were in two subgenera, each of which included a neritic species and a smaller inner-bay species. The occurrence of the smaller of each pair in the inner bay, which has been observed forAcartia and other species in other estuaries and bays, may also be a result of size-selective predation. 相似文献
9.
Male blue crabsCallinectes sapidus Rathbun were allowed to forage on six size classes of the Atlantic rangia clam,Rangia cuneata (Sowerby), in laboratory squaria under conditions of restricted or unrestricted prey size availability. Prey profitability (energy gained divided by handling time) decreased as prey size increased. Crabs preferred smaller clams (1–2 cm long, then 2–3 cm long), as predicted by an energy maximization model. Under conditions of restricted prey sizes (nonreplacement experiments), when the smaller clams were no longer available, crabs tended to choose progressively larger clams. Crabs did not exhibit selective feeding behavior among clams larger than 3 cm long. For the range of crab sizes tested (71–167 mm carapace width), there was no correlation between crab carapace width and the mean clam size that was eaten. 相似文献
10.
Patricia Kremer 《Estuaries and Coasts》1979,2(2):97-105
The impact ofMnemiopsis leidyi as a predator was studied quantitatively to determine their feeding rates on mixed natural zooplankton. These studies showed that feeding rate was independent of food concentration, but a function of both temperature and size of ctenophore. The feeding rate (liters cleared per mg dry weight per day) ranged from about 0.01 for larger ctenophores at lower temperatures (10–15°C) to about 0.1 for smaller ctenophores at higher temperatures (20–25°C). Combining these results with ctenophore biomass estimates from three years of sampling, numerical estimates were made of zooplankton mortality due to ctenophore predation. The maximum summer cropping byM. leidyi was calculated to be an average of 5–10% per day for the bay as a whole. Although substantial, this predation pressure alone does not account for the observed summer decline of zooplankton. 相似文献
11.
Jason E. Tanner 《Estuaries and Coasts》2007,30(4):601-606
The European green crab (Carcinus maenas) is a highly successful marine invader, having established populations in a number of areas outside its natural range in
the last 100 years. In South Australia,C. maenas can be abundant on intertidal mud flats, which are used by juveniles of the native blue swimmer crab (Portunus pelagicus) and could have the potential to cause substantial negative effects on this species. The influence of adult blue and green
crabs on habitat selection by juvenile blue crabs was tested to determine if they responded to both predators in a similar
fashion. The presence of predators did not influence habitat selection by juvenile blue crabs in either laboratory or field
experiments, but juvenile behavior in the selected habitat did differ between the two adult species. Many more crabs buried
themselves beneath the substrate when adult conspecifics were present than when adult green crabs were present. Burying in
the presence of adult green crabs was no more frequent than when predators were absent. It remains to be determined if this
makes juvenile blue crabs more vulnerable to predation by green crabs than by adults of their own species, or if the difference
in response is because green crabs pose a different or lesser threat. 相似文献
12.
Dungeness crab (Cancer magister) megalopae recruit to northeastern Pacific coastal estuaries, and settle into intertidal and subtidal habitats where they
molt into Early Benthic Phase (EBP) crabs, and are dependent on epibenthic structure for shelter from predation. Given the
importance of shell refuge to their post-settlement ontogeny, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers began constructing intertidal
plots of oyster shell in the Grays Harbor estuary, Washington, to enhance recruitment and mitigate losses of subtidalC. magister entrained and killed during extensive dredging efforts. When shell habitat was newly constructed, settlement and survival
ofC. magister were high, and expectations for the mitigation project were met. During the first several years (1992-1997), plots greater
than 1 yr postconstruction were colonized by yellow shore crabs,Hemigrapsus oregonensis (often≥75 crabs m−2, and abundance of EBPC. magister was reduced to nearly zero. While some predation of settling megalopae byH. oregonensis does occur, the relationship between these species is characterized by density-dependent competitive interactions. Laboratory
observations of competition for shell habitat indicate thatH. oregonensis are dominant over EBPC. magister and can evictC. magister from refuge spaces. Field experiments show that high densities of the former cause, the latter to emigrate from shell, and
suggest detection and avoidance of areas with high densities ofH. oregonensis by settlingC. magister megalopae. More recently (1998-2001), abundance ofH. oregonensis has declined dramatically within plots of oyster shell, apparently due to recruitment failure, and patterns ofC. magister abundance and production have returned to levels consistent with original expectations of the mitigation project. Both intraspecific
and interspecific competition for space are significant factors effecting population, regulation ofC. magister when they are strongly dependent on refuge from predation. Efficacy of constructed oyster shell plots as a mitigation tool
may hinge on the population dynamics of a species previously considered of little consequence to the target species. 相似文献
13.
Feeding habits, seasonal diet variation, and predator size-prey size relationships of red drum (Sciaenops ocellatus) were investigated in Galveston Bay, Texas through stomach contents analysis. A total of 598 red drum ranging from 291–763 mm total length were collected and their stomach contents analyzed during fall 1997 and spring 1998. The diet of red drum showed significant seasonal patterns, and was dominated by white shrimp (Penaeus setiferus) during fall and gulf menhaden (Brevoortia patronus) during spring. Blue crab (Callinectes sapidus) was an important component of red drum diets during both seasons. Significant differences existed between prey types consumed during fall and spring as red drum diet reflected seasonal variation in prey availability. Predictive regression equations were generated to estimate original carapace width of blue crabs from several measurements taken from carapace fragments recovered in red drum stomachs. Regressions were highly significant (r2>0.97) and increased the number of blue crabs with size information nearly three fold. Predator size-prey size relationships were determined for red drum feeding on white shrimp, gulf menhaden, and blue crab. Although regression slopes were statistically significant, prey sizes increased only slightly with increasing red drum size. Comparisons of prey sizes consumed by red drum with sizes occurring in the field indicate that red drum feed in nearshore shallow water habitats, which serve as nursery areas for many juvenile fishes and crustaceans. Our findings demonstrate that red drum feed on several prey species of commercial and recreational value and may have important effects on estuarine community structure. 相似文献
14.
Predation byPanopeus herbstii onMercenaria mercenaria was significantly affected by temperature, and the size of predators and prey items. LargerP. herbstii opened more clams and preyed more successfully on larger clams than did smaller crabs. Increase in seed clam size and decrease in water temperature significantly reduced predation. Clam size appeared to be more important than crab satiation in reducing predation rate. Planting larger seed clams in cooler months should help to improve clam survival by reducing the impact ofP. herbstii in culture operations. 相似文献
15.
Andreas M. Waser Rob Dekker Johannes IJ. Witte Niamh McSweeney Bruno J. Ens Jaap van der Meer 《Estuaries and Coasts》2018,41(2):507-520
Many subtidal predators undertake regular tidal migrations into intertidal areas in order to access abundant prey. One of the most productive habitats in soft bottom intertidal systems is formed by beds of epibenthic bivalves such as blue mussels (Mytilus edulis) and Pacific oysters (Crassostrea gigas). In the Dutch Wadden Sea, these bivalves might face substantial predation pressure by the shore crab (Carcinus maenas), which increased considerably in numbers during the last 20 years. However, the quantification of this species on bivalve beds is challenging, since most methods common for quantifying animal abundance in marine habitats cannot be used. This study investigated the potential of two methods to quantify the abundance of C. maenas on 14 epibenthic bivalve beds across the Dutch Wadden Sea. The use of the number of crabs migrating from subtidal towards intertidal areas as a proxy of abundance on bivalve beds yielded unreliable results. In contrast, crabs caught with traps on the beds were correlated with the abundance assessed on the surrounding bare flats by beam trawl and therefore provided usable results. The estimates, however, were only reliable for crabs exceeding 35 mm in carapace width (CW). The application of these estimates indicated that crab abundances on bivalve beds were influenced by the biogenic structure. Beds dominated by oysters attracted many large crabs (> 50-mm CW), whereas abundances of medium-sized crabs (35–50-mm CW) showed no relationship to the oyster occurrence. The combination of traps and trawls is capable of quantifying crab abundance on bivalve beds, which offers the possibility to study biotic processes such as predator-prey interactions in these complex structures in more detail. 相似文献
16.
Diamondback terrapins (Malaclemys terrapin) drown in blue crab (Callinectes sapidus) pots throughout their range. The objectives of this study were to test if bycatch mortality of diamondback terrapins in commercial crab pots is reduced by using bycatch reduction devices (BRDs) and to determine if BRDs affect crab catch in Florida by comparing sex, size, and number of blue crabs captured in standard crab pots with those captured in pots equipped with BRDs. We fished 15 standard crab pots (controls) and 15 crab pots with bycatch reduction devices (experimentals) for 10-d periods at two sites per year from 2002 through 2005. Study sites were located in eight Florida counties with one sample period per county. Pots were checked daily and baited on alternate days. We determined sex and size of captured terrapins and blue crabs to evaluate if BRDs affected the size of either species. Thirty-seven terrapins were caught in control pots and four in experimentals. Eleven terrapins were small enough that they would not have been prevented from entering either pot treatment, but we found that 73.2% of the terrapins in this study could have been prevented from entering crab pots with functional BRDs. There were no significant differences between the sex, measurements, or number of legal-sized crabs captured in control and experimental pots at any of the study sites. We recommend that the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission devise and adopt regulations that require the use of 4.5×12 cm BRDs on all commercial and recreational crab pots in Florida without delay. 相似文献
17.
Atrazine (2-chloro-4-ethylamino-6-isopropylamine-s-triazine) concentrations of 1,000 ppm either killed or eliminated the escape response (considered to be analogous to death) ofUca pugnax in laboratory experiments in August 1977. Adverse effects were observed at concentrations as low as 100 ppm and the severity was dependent on size and sex of the crab. However, in subsequent experiments, each with a new group of crabs, the effects of atrazine became smaller and smaller until a November experiment when no deleterious effects were observed even when exposed to 1,000 ppm. Experiments in August, 1978 confirmed the data obtained 1 year earlier. Ecological and physiological considerations of this seasonal variation in response are discussed. Crabs fed for 20 days with detritus wetted with 10?4 M atrazine were not adversely affected. Crabs exposed to a single application of 0, 100, 1,000, and 10,000 ppm atrazine in the field and in microecosystems were adversely affected only by the 10,000-ppm rate. Toxicity of atrazine to the larval stage of the crab was not investigated. 相似文献
18.
We examined the diets of Gulf killifish,Fundulus grandis Baird and Girard, collected monthly from March through July 1988 with unbaited minnow traps during two sampling periods: (1) on flood tides before they reached the marsh surface, and (2) on ebb tides as they left the marsh. Thirty-five prey taxa, plant parts, and detritus were identified from the stomach contents of 110 Gulf killifish (mean SL = 55 mm, range = 30?82 mm). Fiddler crabs,Uca longisignalis Salmon and Atsaides; amphipods, mostlyCorophium louisianum Shoemaker; tanaidaceans,Hargeria rapax (Harger); and hydrobiids,Littoridinops palustris Thompson, were their most important prey. Killifish diets differed both quantitatively and qualitatively relative to the habitat in which they were feeding. Fiddler crabs and polychaetes were consumed more frequently and in greater numbers in the intertidal zone, whereas more amphipods were eaten by killifish feeding in subtidal and low intertidal areas. Gulf killifish consumed a greater volume of food when they had access to the marsh surface than when they were confined to subtidal areas. 相似文献
19.
Kirstin K. Holsman David A. Armstrong David A. Beauchamp Jennifer L. Ruesink 《Estuaries and Coasts》2003,26(4):1155-1173
Complex intertidal habitats characteristic of northeastern Pacific coastal estuaries provide critical nursery environments for young-of-the-year Dungeness crab,Cancer magister, yet their role in supporting subsequent year classes remains unclear. SubadultC. magister (40–130 mm; 1+ and >1+ year classes), which reach densities as high as 4,300 crabs ha?1 in subtidal channels during low tides, migrate during flood tides from subtidal refuges into intertidal habitats to forage. As with other brachyuran species that undertake extensive tidally-driven migrations, intertidal foraging may contribute significantly to the energy budget of subadultC. magister. In order to explore the energetic incentive for intertidal migrations by subadult crabs, we developed an ontogenetically-based bioenergetics model for crabs within Willapa Bay, Washington. The model showed that energetic demand varied spatially across the bay, with the highest average energetic demand of a population of subadult crabs (2.13×106 kJ ha?1) occurring in a habitat stratum termed lower side channel (LSC) and characterized by relatively little subtidal area and extensive intertidal flats. Comparison of model results with subtidal prey production revealed that the latter could not satisfy subadultC. magister energetic demands, especially in LSC where modeled crab predation depleted subtidal prey biomass within 17 simulation days. We estimate that 1 ha of subtidal crabs from LSC would minimally require an additional 1.6 ha of intertidal area to satisfy energetic demands without depleting prey biomass. Our model results support the assertion thatC. magister make regular migrations to forage on productive intertidal flats, and suggest that intertidal foraging may contribute significantly to the diet of subadult crabs in coastal estuaries. 相似文献
20.
Robert W. Virnstein 《Estuaries and Coasts》1979,2(2):69-86
The effect of predation by blue crabs and fishes on all species of infaunal macrobenthos of a subtidal sandy bottom in the York River, Virginia, was investigated by manipulative field experiments. Wire mesh cages were used both to exclude all large predators from and to confine different predators to small areas of the natural bottom. After 2 months, many species showed significant differences between the various treatments. There were similar patterns of species responses in three separate years. Species tended to fit one of two categories. Those species which had tough tubes, which lived deep in the sediment, or which could quickly retract deep into the sediment were shown experimentally not to change much in abundance regardless of whether predators were excluded or included. These species were generally the numerical dominants in the natural community—e.g.Peloscolex gabriellae, Heteromastus filiformis, Spiochaetopterus oculatus, andPhoronis psammophila. Other species which lived near the surface or exposed on the surface responded to experimentally altered predation intensity with large changes in density. These species were either uncommon or only sporadically abundant in the natural community—e.g.Polydora ligni, Streblospio benedicti, Mulinia lateralis, andLyonsia hyalina. This evidence indicates that the abundant species in the natural community are abundant because they avoid predators. 相似文献