Aggregated prey and predation rates: Juvenile shore crabs (Carcinus maenas) foraging on post-larval cockles (Cerastoderma edule)

Whitton, Timothy A.; Jenkins, Stuart R.; Richardson, Christopher A.; Hiddink, Jan Geert

doi:10.1016/j.jembe.2012.07.014

Cited by 25 publications

(16 citation statements)

References 57 publications

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“…These predators consume substantial numbers of bivalve spat, as revealed by immunoassays of gut contents (Van der Veer et al 1998), by visual identification of stomach contents (Pihl & Rosenberg 1984, Pihl 1985, Hiddink et al 2002, and by direct observations in the laboratory (Andresen & Van der Meer 2010, Whitton et al 2012). All of the above authors judged that consumption rates and abundance of epibenthic predators could be sufficiently high to account for severe reductions in numbers of early benthic stages of bivalves in the field.…”

Section: Importance Of Epibenthic Predation On Tidal Flatsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Variability in predator abundance links winter temperatures and bivalve recruitment: correlative evidence from long-term data in a tidal flat

Beukema¹,

Dekker²

2014

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

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Section: Importance Of Epibenthic Predation On Tidal Flatsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Variability in predator abundance links winter temperatures and bivalve recruitment: correlative evidence from long-term data in a tidal flat

Beukema¹,

Dekker²

2014

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

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“…Interference between crabs is also indicated by experiments of Kamermans et al (2009) where the rate at which 20 mm mussel seed was consumed, decreased from 6 seeds/day/crab to 3 seeds/day/crab when two crabs were placed together in one cage. However, when this hypothesis was tested on cockles, it was observed that the aggregation level had no effect on predation success of shore crabs (Whitton et al 2012). When mussels were presented as a group rather than as a sequence of single individuals, predation rates increased, as the shore crabs were able to select smallersized individuals of a group more easily (Burch and Seed 2000).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The role of shore crabs and mussel density in mussel losses at a commercial intertidal mussel plot after seeding

Scheiberlich¹,

Wijsman²,

Smaal

2016

Aquacult Int

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Mussel losses peak after relaying seed on culture plots. The present paper is an attempt to examine the role of shore crab predation and initial mussel density on mussel losses in mussel bottom culture using an intertidal culture plot as a case study. Because of their small size and loose attachment, mussels are particularly vulnerable to predation at this stage, as well as to handling stress and intraspecific competition. In the experimental field plots (1 9 1 m) in the intertidal Oosterschelde, three different densities (1, 5 and 10 kg m -2 ) of mussel seed are laid, with half of the experimental plots protected from predation by means of exclosures. Duration of the experiment was 5 weeks (AugustSeptember 2012) post-seeding. Protection was the major factor accounting for biomass production, followed by mussel density. Loss rates increased with mussel density, both in the exclosures and in the exposed plots. Losses in the exclosures with the lowest density were still 45 %. There are indications that handling stress prior to the start of the experiment played a major role in these losses. At the higher densities in the exclosures, losses increased to 72.1 % and were not significantly different between 5 and 10 kg m -2 . About one-third of the total loss (32.6 %) was attributed to shore crab predation. development during the experimental period was followed and was found to be a slow process that was insufficient to protect mussels from crab predation at the sheltered experimental location.

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“…The cohort strength and distribution of adults is largely determined during the post-settlement stage (0-group), which is considered as the period from larval settlement through to survival of their first winter (Beukema and Dekker, 2005). The occurrence of high C. edule postsettlement mortality due to predation (Jensen and Jensen, 1985;Whitton et al, 2012) and their ability to migrate, using a byssus thread to increase hydrodynamic drag, during this post-settlement period is understood to influence subsequent adult densities and spatial patterns (Armonies, 1994). However, interactions with other fauna may also be influential.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The effect of macrofaunal disturbance on Cerastoderma edule post-larvae

Whitton

Jenkins

Richardson

et al. 2016

Journal of Sea Research

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Populations of the Common European cockle (Cerastoderma edule) often have highly patchy distributions and variable recruitment success. One of the proposed reasons is that high densities of filter feeders and / or bioturbators are thought to reduce the success of larval settlement and post-settlement survival, but the direct causal processes driving these observations are not clearly identified and validated. Through combined field and laboratory experiments, we test the hypothesis that macrofauna cause decreases in post-larval density through feeding and movement activities. The effect of excluding the bioturbating lugworm Arenicola marina and filter-feeding adult cockles on post-larval cockle densities was estimated in separate field experiments at two locations from the time of initial larval settlement in May 2012 to late summer August 2012. Lugworm exclusion led to a significant increase in cockle post-larval densities whereas the opposite was true for adult cockles, where exclusion led to a reduction in C. edule post-larval density. Although clear effects were observed in the field, experiments conducted in the laboratory failed to detect changes in mortality or byssus drifting of post-larvae as a consequence of macrofaunal activity. This study demonstrates that the presence of macrofauna can have both positive and negative effects on post-settlement density of C. edule post-larvae. Thus the density, distribution and identity of macrofauna have significant effects on the density and spatial distribution of C. edule post-larvae during the post-settlement period. These observations have implications for conservation and fishery management of this species.Keywords: Arenicola marina, Cerastoderma edule, interaction, post-larvae, cockle, settlement Highlights  The effect of macrofauna presence on colonisation of cockle post-larvae was tested.  Combined field and laboratory studies were used.

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Aggregated prey and predation rates: Juvenile shore crabs (Carcinus maenas) foraging on post-larval cockles (Cerastoderma edule)

Cited by 25 publications

References 57 publications

Variability in predator abundance links winter temperatures and bivalve recruitment: correlative evidence from long-term data in a tidal flat

Variability in predator abundance links winter temperatures and bivalve recruitment: correlative evidence from long-term data in a tidal flat

The role of shore crabs and mussel density in mussel losses at a commercial intertidal mussel plot after seeding

The effect of macrofaunal disturbance on Cerastoderma edule post-larvae

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