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1.
The habitat in which predator–prey interactions take place may have a profound influence on the outcome of those interactions. Cannibalism is an intriguing form of predation whereby foraging by predators may contribute to the regulation of their own populations.This is particularly interesting in the case of invasive species, like the widely distributed European green crab (Carcinus maenas). This study explores how habitat complexity influences cannibalism rates in green crab populations of Prince Edward Island, Atlantic Canada. Both laboratory and field experiments were conducted to measure feeding rates by individual adult green crabs on a standard number of smaller conspecifics. In the laboratory, experimental treatments mimicked unstructured to increasingly structured habitats: water, sandy bottom, oyster shells, mussel shells, oyster shells with sandy bottom and mussel shells with sandy bottom. In those trials, adult green crabs consumed several times more juveniles on unstructured habitats than on the most structured ones, with a gradual decrease in predation rates across increasingly complex habitats. Field inclusion experiments used the same approach and were conducted in sandy bottoms, sandy bottoms with a layer of oyster shells and sandy bottoms with a layer of mussel shells. These trials showed similar patterns of decreasing feeding rates across increasingly complex habitats, but differences among treatments were not significant. These results support the idea that complex habitats have the potential to mediate predator–prey interactions, including adult–juvenile cannibalism in green crabs.  相似文献   

2.
Many animals are sexually dimorphic, but the underlying evolutionary causes and ecological consequences of sexual dimorphism are not fully understood. One predicted consequence for sexual dimorphism is that different sexes show niche differentiation. If sexual dimorphism is in feeding appendages, then differences may be manifested by different diets and thus contrasting behavioural responses to potential prey. Sexual dimorphisms in feeding appendages may also result in different handling times, which may then be correlated with differences in exposure, and, hence predation risk to the predator while feeding. In addition, the prey of the sexually dimorphic predator may respond differently to cues from each sex according to the predation risk each presents to the prey. We tested these predictions using a crab (Carcinus maenas) with sexual dimorphism in chelae dimensions, its predator the cuttlefish Sepia officinalis and prey with known differences in handling times; the gastropod molluscs Gibbula umbilicalis and Littorina littorea. We demonstrated that male C. maenas orientated more frequently to cues from L. littorea whereas females orientated more towards G. umbilicalis in contradiction of patterns predicted by handling times. Male crabs had a faster heart rate than females but this was not influenced by food‐based cues. We also showed no difference in foraging times with respect to changing levels of predator risk and also no differences in gastropod responses to odours from male or female crabs. Our results showed that predictions of handling time and sexual dimorphism are not associated. The experiments indicated the male and female crabs are probably ecological equivalents and thus niche differentiation is less likely.  相似文献   

3.
Moon snail predation on clams is a common model system of predator–prey interactions. In this system, the predator bores through the shell of its prey, leaving a distinct and identifiable hole. Some paleoecological and behavioral research on moon snails suggests a trend in predation preference directed toward clams with small shells. Rarely, however, have studies tested relative drilling frequencies across species and size ranges in natural assemblages of clam communities. We examined the clam community composition at two beaches in South Carolina, USA, and we then tested moon snail predator preferences for (a) clam prey species and (b) whether their selection is related to prey shell size. We collected a total of 1,879 clam shells, identified each shell to species and recorded their anteroposterior length. The species composition of clams differed significantly between the two beaches; Anadara ovalis was dominant at both sites, but three of ten total species were only collected at one beach. Folly Beach had nearly a 60% higher the overall drilling frequency (34.6%) versus Edisto Beach (21.8%), and this may be linked to the differences in clam community compositions at the sites. For A. ovalis and Mulinia lateralis, shells with larger lengths have lower probabilities of being bored by a moon snail. Anadara brasiliana, which generally is a thinner‐shelled clam species, had the highest total drilling frequency (77.2%), and Noetia ponderosa, a thicker‐shelled clam, had a considerably lower drilling frequency (12.0%). We conclude that both community level factors (species composition) and population characteristics (shell size distributions) may influence the local drilling frequency by moon snails.  相似文献   

4.
Parasite life cycles are frequently completed in different hosts, thus the parasites have its life cycle overlapped to natural trophic webs. The family Gymnophallidae (Class: Trematoda; Subclass: Digenea) includes digenetic parasites whose larval stages occur on bivalves and may affect bivalve predation by the final host of these parasites. In this work we evaluated: (a) if individuals of the razor clam Tagelus plebeius with higher parasite intensity suffer higher predation by the oystercatcher Haematopus palliatus and, (b) if there is any effect of parasite intensity on burrowing and escape behaviours of these razor clams which may enhance exposure to predators. Field experiments (oystercatcher exclusion vs. open access) showed that clams with higher parasite intensity support higher predation by oystercatchers, which suggests a higher consumption of more parasitized clams and thus, a more successful reproduction of parasites linked to the intensity of infection. However, clam burrowing and escape behaviours did not show differences related to different parasite intensity, suggesting that the commonly believed mechanisms are not responsible in this case.  相似文献   

5.
The dispersion patterns and feeding behaviour of intertidal whelks were investigated in north‐eastern New Zealand. Aggregations of whelks feeding on clams occurred regularly, with an average of 15–20 individuals per aggregation. Death of clams was attributable to predation in up to 50% of the aggregations, although scavenging of dead and moribund animals was the main activity of whelks. Laboratory and field studies showed that Lepsiella scobina (generally not considered a soft shore species) was the main whelk predator at Lews Bay, Whangateau Harbour, drilling a small neat hole through the clam shell. The distinction between Cominella spp. as predators or scavengers is not so clear. Reseeding of intertidal clams, Austrovenus stutchburyi, has been proposed as a technique for reestablishing populations in some degraded New Zealand estuaries. The impact of whelk predation has many implications for A. stutchburyi reseeding. Both L. scobina and Cominella adspersa may potentially prey on newly reseeded clams as they preferentially attacked small clams in the laboratory. On‐growing to a larger size before reseeding may be advantageous although large size was not found to protect prey from predation. Additionally, no seasonal trend in whelk activity was found.  相似文献   

6.
《Journal of Sea Research》1999,41(3):213-224
Field collections of the bivalve Macoma balthica in the Dutch Wadden Sea and three southeastern United States estuaries revealed morphological differences between populations of the two sides of the Atlantic Ocean. Individuals of the same age showed much larger shell lengths at the American stations. In addition, bivalves of the same body weight had higher siphon weights at the American stations than at the Dutch stations. This difference in siphon size was related to their burying depths. The American population, which invested more in heavier siphons, was able to burrow much deeper into the sediment (up to 30 cm). Deep burial may be an adaptation to avoid exposure to the high southern temperatures. Furthermore, it may serve as a refuge from blue crab predation. The results of our comparison between the southern American population and the European support the suggestion that populations of M. balthica living in these two regions should be considered separate and sibling species.  相似文献   

7.
Crabs are important predators of inter‐tidal ecosystems, controlling the abundance and distribution of their prey populations. Often the same crab species occupies several habitats and, although their effects on prey have been quantified across habitats, crabs’ dietary and morphological responses to differing environmental influences have been overlooked. Here, we used the crabs Eriphia verrucosa and Pachygrapsus marmoratus as model species to examine differences in claw morphometry – size and wear – and diet between rocky shore and heterogeneous sand flat habitats. We predicted that, intra‐specifically, crabs from rocky shores would consume more hard‐shelled prey owing to their high availability and consequently, would display chelipeds with the following claw characteristics: a higher degree of claw damage, stronger musculature (higher propel height) and increased mechanical advantage (defined as the ratio of input lever length to output lever length) than crabs in the heterogeneous sand flat habitats. Sampling was performed in heterogeneous sand flat habitats and rocky shores of the Central Portuguese coast. For each crab species, carapace width, diet composition and several claw morphometric measures were recorded, revealing significant intra‐specific differences (using multivariate analysis) between shore types. We found that E. verrucosa and P. marmoratus consumed more hard prey on rocky shore than on sand flat habitats, which resulted in rocky shore crabs having more accentuated dentition wear and larger musculature than their sand flat habitat counterparts. We suggest that the strong response of crab claw morphometry to environmentally induced diet variations is an important mechanism in the successful adaptation of crab species to inhabit differing habitats. A major implication is that the impact of the same species on prey may vary largely with habitat type as a result of predation efficiency varying with claw condition.  相似文献   

8.
Abstract. Aquarium experiments were performed to test for critical oxygen levels in relation to the predation efficiency of C. crangon . Short-term (60 h) experiments where done in normoxia (> 95%). 50, 40.30, and 20% oxygen saturation with the amphipod Bathyporeiapilosa as prey. A significantly reduced predation rate was detected at 30% oxygen. Sublethal effects of C. crangon on adult Macoma balthica (mainly by siphon cropping) were studied by measuring the condition of the clams (morphometric, somatic, and biochemical). To test for these effects experiments were conducted under normoxia and moderate hypoxia (40% oxygen); Condition and siphon indices revealed no change in condition after a 3-week exposure to moderate hypoxia, while a significant reduction in the condition of adult clams was found in both normoxia and hypoxia when subjected to siphon cropping by C. crangon . No enhanced siphon cropping could be detected due to hypoxia.
The results indicate that C. crangon is able to maintain its predatory role until a level of 30% oxygen in short-term exposure. After a 20% oxygen level, however, the abiotic stress alters the functional role of C. crangon as a predator, indicating a threshold of 20–302 oxygen for the normal functioning of the predator-prey food webs.  相似文献   

9.
The consumptive effects of predators are widely acknowledged, but predation can also impact prey populations through non‐consumptive effects (NCEs) such as costly antipredator behavioral responses. The magnitude of antipredator behavioral responses by prey is determined by an assessment of risk using sensory cues, which in turn is modulated by the environmental context. We studied the detection behavior and escape response of the keyhole limpet Fissurella limbata from the predatory sea star Heliaster helianthus. Through laboratory and field experimental trials, we quantified the distance and time of predator detection behavior by the prey, and measured their active escape responses when elicited. We found that predator detection by the limpet was chiefly mediated by distance, with experimental individuals capable of detecting predator presence effectively up to distances of at least 50 cm in the field and 70 cm under laboratory conditions. Our results indicate that this prey species is able to evaluate the proximity of its predator and use it as an indication of predation risk; therefore, predator–prey distance appears to be a primary predictor of the magnitude of the antipredator response. Given the tight relationship between predator distance and prey movement and the important role herbivores can play, particularly in this ecosystem, we expect that NCEs will cascade to the patterns of abundance and composition of rocky shore communities through changes in prey foraging behavior under risk.  相似文献   

10.
Abstract. We examined the responses of two tropical sea urchins, Lytechinus variegatus and Tripneustes ventricosus, to cues from predators, simulated predation events and food. Cues released from damaged conspecifics, heterospecifics and heteroclassics (holothurian) were used to simulate predation events in field experiments. Responses to the presence of seagrass, spiny lobster or both were tested in tanks. Findings were supplemented by natural history observations of dispersion patterns off Bermuda. In field experiments, neither species formed groupings in the presence of conspecific, heterospecific or heteroclassic cues. Flight responses were greatest in conspecific treatments; responses to heterospecific cues were intermediate to control and conspecific cues. Urchins in pre‐assembled associations remained in groups in control trials but dispersed when exposed to predation cues. Lytechinus exhibited greater sensitivity to predation cues than Tripneustes. Cues from a damaged sea cucumber invoked a response from Lytechinus but not Tripneustes. Both species employed a two phased response to cues from damaged conspecifics: initially a rapid, but ephemeral (2 min), alarm response followed by a slower (≈ 35 % lower) sustained flight phase for 6+ min, which in nature would disperse urchins downstream and away from a predator. In tank experiments, Lytechinus formed groupings only around food or food + predators. The presence of a predator reduced the aggregation response to food, suggesting that Lytechinus employed a risk aversion strategy. Tripneustes exhibited escape or refractory behavior in both control and experimental treatments in laboratory tanks.  相似文献   

11.
Indirect interactions are among the many important factors that influence the community structure of the rocky intertidal zone. Trait‐mediated indirect interactions, in which the presence of a predator or competitor can influence the relationship between two other species, have emerged as vital for understanding community dynamics. This study examined the effect of different crab species on the feeding habits of an intertidal snail, Nucella lapillus. Crab species were defined as being sympatric predatory (Carcinus maenas and Cancer irroratus), sympatric non‐predatory (Uca pugnax and Pagurus longicarpus), or allopatric predatory (Mithrax sculptus and Percnon gibbesi). Nucella lapillus were potentially exposed to risk cues from each of the crab species. Crabs were kept in perforated boxes, which allowed any chemical cues to be emitted but prevented direct contact. Nucella lapillus had significantly lower feeding rates in the presence of sympatric predatory crab species than N. lapillus exposed to either sympatric non‐predatory crabs or allopatric predatory crabs. There was no difference in feeding rate between N. lapillus exposed to the sympatric non‐predatory crabs and to the allopatric predatory crabs. Nucella lapillus in the presence of sympatric predatory crabs had a feeding rate of only 0.07 barnacles per snail per day, whereas N. lapillus housed with non‐predatory crabs and allopatric predatory crabs had rates of 0.11 and 0.12, respectively, suggesting that N. lapillus alter their behavior in response to chemical risk cues from local predators. These results suggest that the ability to detect and respond to risk cues is a selectively evolved trait.  相似文献   

12.
The burrowing behaviour of Ovalipes catharus (White, 1843) is described and compared with that of some other burrowing crabs. O. catharus is a fast, back burrowing crab which makes temporary burrows in soft sand. The average time from initiation of burrowing to complete submergence was 6.5 s, there was no difference between males and females but burrowing time increased significantly with crab size. Similar morphological adaptations are required for burrowing and swimming: streamlined body shape, smooth lightly constructed exoskeleton, and flattened legs. O. catharus has a reversed respiratory current like O. guadulpensis but it differs in its burrowing behaviour. Compared to some other crabs, burrowing in O. catharus is rapid.  相似文献   

13.
Several studies in the last 20 years have revealed that morphological asymmetry in fish can be characterized as ‘antisymmetry’. Antisymmetry is a lateral dimorphism in which each population consists of individuals with well‐developed left sides (lefties) and well‐developed right sides (righties). This dimorphism influences predator–prey interactions. In some piscivorous fishes, it has been found that predators can catch more prey of the opposite morphological type to themselves (cross‐predation) than of the same morphological type (parallel‐predation). Our previous work clarified that the predominance of cross‐predation is caused by lateralized behaviors of predators and prey that correspond to their morphological antisymmetry. Moreover, based on the results of our behavioral observations, we hypothesized that parallel‐predation can predominate when predators encounter the potential prey frontally. To test this hypothesis, in the present study we investigated the relationship between lateral morphological types of anglerfish (Lophiomus setigerus) and those of the prey fishes found in their stomachs. Anglerfish attract potential prey using their first dorsal fin (illicium) as a lure, and their frontal encounters with potential prey fishes were photographed in situ and observed in an aquarium. The results of a stomach contents analysis indicated that parallel‐predation predominated in five benthopelagic prey fish species (perches and eels). By contrast, five benthic prey fishes (gobies and weevers) exhibited the predominance of cross‐predation. These results not only demonstrate the predominance of parallel‐predation in a natural fish community, but also suggest that the relationship between morphological types of predator and prey species can be reversed depending on the lifestyle of prey.  相似文献   

14.
Up to 12 marine mollusc and three crab species are thought to have been deliberately or accidentally introduced to South Africa. Of these, only the Mediterranean mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis and the European shore crab Carcinus meanas have become invasive. M. galloprovincialis, probably introduced in the late 1970s, is already the dominant mussel throughout the Cape west coast. As a result, indigenous intertidal mussels Aulacomya ater have been largely displaced, mussel standing stock has increased and the upshore limit of mussel beds has become considerably elevated. Implications include competitive exclusion of large limpets but enhanced recruitment of juvenile limpets, increased habitat availability for mussel infauna, reduction of habitat for algal infauna and enhanced food availability for predators, particularly terrestrial species. C. maenas was first recorded from Table Bay Docks in 1983 and currently ranges from Camps Bay to Saldanha Bay. Although it is a voracious predator, it appears unable to colonize wave-swept shores, so is unlikely to displace indigenous crabs, or to severely impact prey species on the open coast. Valuable conservation areas and mariculture sites in sheltered lagoonal areas are, however, threatened by it.  相似文献   

15.
Laboratory experiments were performed on the food ecology of four congeneric species of free-living plathelminths, Promesostoma caligulatum, P. marmoratum, P. rostratum, and P. meixneri, all inhabiting an intertidal sandflat near the island of Sylt (North Sea). Their prey spectrum is within the microcrustaceans: P. caligulatum preferred ostracods, while the other three species favoured copepods, with species-specific differences for copepod species and size classes. Daily consumption of prey species varied with the size of both the predator and the prey. On average, P. marmoratum consumed 0.76 Harpacticus flexus per day while this rate decreased to 0.06 in P. meixneri, the smallest predator. When these Promesostoma species were fed with Tachidius discipes, a smaller prey species, their predation rates were about 25% higher. While the larger predators preferred the larger harpacticoids as prey, the small P. meixneri preferred small cyclopoids over larger harpacticoids. In terms of biomass, P. marmoratum's mean consumption of T. discipes per day was about half the predator's own weight. This average varied with prey density and temperature. A comparison of these consumption rates with the field densities of the predators and their prey shows that the plathelminth predators may consume as much as 10% per day of their copepod prey populations, thus strongly influencing these prey populations on these sandflats. The predation pressure of P. caligulatum on ostracods was about 1% per day of the prey population. Since ostracods usually have fewer generations per year, the total effect on the population dynamics may be similar to that on copepods. Therefore, nocturnal swimming of copepods in the water column may be interpreted as an attempt to escape plathelminth predators.  相似文献   

16.
水生生态系统中的捕食与生物多样性   总被引：1，自引：0，他引：1  
捕食在水生生态系统中有重要的作用，是影响生物多样性的主要因素子之一。选择性的捕食中能使被喜食的猎物种类从水体中消失，使生物多样性降低。这种捕食也可能抑制优势种的发展，占免竞争排斥，提高猎生物多样性。  相似文献   

17.
Predator‐prey interactions can shape biological communities and drive evolutionary change. The assessment of predation rates in modern and ancient ecosystems presents many challenges. We examined the utility of one common predation metric, shell repair frequency, as a proxy for crushing predation on marine gastropod populations. Our six localities near Bamfield, British Columbia, represented two contrasting predation regimes: three high‐wave‐energy (exposed) environments have low predation rates, while three low‐wave‐energy (protected) environments exhibit high predation rates. We measured the occurrence of repair scars for local populations of the gastropod Chlorostoma funebrale, and recorded multiple independent variables (shell measurements, water velocity, predatory crab abundance) at each locality. Fisher's exact test established that the repair frequencies observed in the protected localities were significantly greater than those of the exposed environments. Factors important in predicting the likelihood of an individual having a repair scar were examined using binomial logistic regression. A model containing the main effects of crab abundance, shell height, shell thickness and water velocity provided the best fit in predicting the presence of repair scars, with crab abundance having the largest contribution. The strong relationship between the presence of repair scars and predator abundance indicates that repair frequency is a valid tool for assessing predation intensity in gastropod populations.  相似文献   

18.
The alien Asian date mussel Arcuatula senhousia inhabits several coastal environments worldwide. This species can form dense mats where individuals attach through byssus threads, thus altering the structure, functioning and biodiversity of the native communities. We investigated the feeding preference of different predators on this alien species in a Mediterranean coastal lagoon. To do this, a mesocosm experiment was conducted using two crab species (the Mediterranean green crab Carcinus aestuarii) and the Say mud crab Dyspanopeus sayi, and one gastropod, the banded dye-murex Hexaplex trunculus as predators of A. senhousia with or without byssus mats. Our data suggest that C. aestuarii is a more effective predator against A. senhousia than D. sayi, and that H. trunculus is almost ineffective. A possible implication of this result is the potential use of the native crab C. aestuarii for limit the formation of the byssus mats, thus mitigating their potential negative effects on the native communities.  相似文献   

19.
In estuarine sediment flats benthic macroinvertebrates are intensively consumed by a variety of predators, such as aquatic birds and nekton (mostly fish and crustaceans). However, there is still a lack of conclusive studies that evaluate if this predation has a relevant impact on the populations of those invertebrates, which are a key element of the estuarine food chain. In the Tagus estuary we experimentally tested and quantified the impact of predation on the polychaete Hediste diversicolor, one of the most important prey for a variety of predators in many estuaries. Using an exclusion experiment, we compared the seasonal variation in the densities of H. diversicolor from February to November in sediment plots (1) available to both bird and nekton predators, (2) just to nekton, and (3) without predators. We also followed changes in the abundance of potential predators throughout the study. The lowest densities were systematically observed in the plots accessible to all predators, followed by those which excluded just birds, and finally by those that excluded all predators. The exclosures were in place for 9 months, at the end of which the average density of H. diversicolor in the plots protected from all predators was eight times greater than in those without any protection. These results demonstrate that predation had a major impact on the densities of H. diversicolor. The relative importance of bird and nekton predation varied along the study, and this seems to be determined by different peaks of abundance of the two types of predators. However, when present in high densities, birds and nekton seem to have a similar impact on H. diversicolor. Our results suggest that predation is a key factor on the population dynamics of H. diversicolor. In addition, the levels of predation that we observed suggest that this polychaete can be a limited resource, and this could have major ecological consequences for predators for which it is a key prey.  相似文献   

20.
Abstract. Along the Atlantic coast of the United States, the mud crab Dyspanopeus sayi frequently occurs in crevices and depressions within aggregated calcareous tubes (termed “heads”) of the serpulid polychaete Filograna implexa. In New Jersey, U.S.A., waters, crab number was significantly correlated with the logarithm of worm tube colony volume. Laboratory experiments suggested that crabs compete for shelter within worm colonies. Additional laboratory experiments indicated that colony occupancy greatly decreased the risk of predation by blue crabs (Callinectes sapidus), and field tethering experiments also demonstrated that colony occupancy significantly decreased predation risk. Thus, the consequence of holding space on worm tube heads is a greatly increased probability of survival.  相似文献   

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