Different early post-settlement strategies between American lobsters Homarus americanus and rock crabs Cancer irroratus in the Gulf of Maine

Palma, Álvaro T.; Wahle, Richard A.; Steneck, Robert S.

doi:10.3354/meps162215

Cited by 52 publications

(49 citation statements)

References 46 publications

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“…Substrate choice can have strong effects on species vulnerabilities to predation at this stage. For example, rock crabs settled at higher densities than lobster and were less selective of substrate, as they were found on both cobble and sandy substrate, whereas lobster clearly preferred cobble (Palma et al 1998(Palma et al , 1999. Densities of post-settlement rock crabs, but not lobsters, increased in predator exclusion experiments (Palma et al 1998(Palma et al , 1999.…”

Section: Mega-decapods As Preymentioning

confidence: 99%

Ecological role of large benthic decapods in marine ecosystems: a review

Boudreau¹,

Worm²

2012

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

128

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Large benthic decapods play an increasingly important role in commercial fisheries worldwide, yet their roles in the marine ecosystem are less well understood. A synthesis of existing evidence for 4 infraorders of large benthic marine decapods, Brachyura (true crabs), Anomura (king crabs), Astacidea (clawed lobsters) and Achelata (clawless lobsters), is presented here to gain insight into their ecological roles and possible ecosystem effects of decapod fisheries. The reviewed species are prey items for a wide range of invertebrates and vertebrates. They are omnivorous but prefer molluscs and crustaceans as prey. Experimental studies have shown that decapods influence the structuring of benthic habitat, occasionally playing a keystone role by suppressing herbivores or space competitors. Indirectly, via trophic cascades, they can contribute to the maintenance of kelp forest, marsh grass, and algal turf habitats. Changes in the abundance of their predators can strongly affect decapod population trends. Commonly documented nonconsumptive interactions include interference-competition for food or shelter, as well as habitat provision for other invertebrates. Anthropogenic factors such as exploitation, the creation of protected areas, and species introductions influence these ecosystem roles by decreasing or increasing decapod densities, often with measurable effects on prey communities. Many studies have investigated particular ecosystem effects of decapods, but few species were comprehensively studied in an ecosystem context. A simplified synthetic framework for interpreting eco system roles of decapods was derived from the available evidence; however, more experimental and long-term observational studies are needed to elucidate mechanisms and shed light on the longterm consequences of decapod fisheries.

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Section: Mega-decapods As Preymentioning

confidence: 99%

Ecological role of large benthic decapods in marine ecosystems: a review

Boudreau¹,

Worm²

2012

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

128

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“…For example, the rock lobster harvest in Western Australia can be quite accurately predicted by measuring postlarval abundance in the rocky reef nursery grounds (see Pearse & Phillips 1994 for a summary), and clawed lobsters in the Gulf of Maine have been found to exhibit significant correlations between postlarval supply and juvenile abundance in nursery habitats , Palma et al 1998. Conversely, studies of Dungeness crabs Cancer magister in Washington state (USA) (Eggleston & Armstrong 1995), rock crabs C. irroratus in the Gulf of Maine (Palma et al 1998), and blue crabs in the Chesapeake Bay (Pile et al 1996) found substantial density-dependent mortality that eliminated the positive relationships between postlarval supply and juvenile abundance.…”

Section: Correspondence Between Megalopal and Yoy Abundancementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Only in areas where predators were excluded was there a significant postlarval-early juvenile relationship. Rock crabs are also highly susceptible to predators, and early post-settlement mortality appears to eliminate the influence of postlarval supply (Palma et al 1998). Pile et al (1996) found early blue crab juveniles to suffer very high density-dependent losses, much of which appeared to be due to cannibalism from slightly larger blue crabs (see Moksnes et al 1997).…”

Section: Correspondence Between Megalopal and Yoy Abundancementioning

confidence: 99%

Pre- and post-settlement factors as determinants of juvenile blue crab Callinectes sapidus abundance: results from the north-central Gulf of Mexico

Heck¹,

Coen²,

Morgan³

2001

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

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We estimated juvenile abundance and predation potential for young-of-the-year (YOY) blue crabs Callinectes sapidus in upper-and lower-salinity marsh and submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) 'nursery habitats' of Mobile Bay, Alabama, USA, and surrounding waters, and combined this information with previously published post-larval abundance data from these habitats to evaluate the relative roles of pre-and post-settlement events in determining the abundance of YOY crabs. We found little evidence for a significant relationship between megalopal supply and juvenile abundance, except shortly after a few very large, episodic pulses of postlarvae. However, even after large settlement events, in less than 14 d densities of YOY crabs had declined in a density-dependent manner to prior 'background' levels. These declines in density were probably due to high predation rates that produced as much as 95% mortality on a daily basis. As many previous studies had found, greater predation risk was recorded for crabs on unvegetated substrate than for those in SAV or marsh grass. Overall, losses to predators were high at our study sites compared to those reported in similar studies along the Atlantic coast of the United States. In both years of the study (1990 and 1991), the largest numbers of juvenile crabs were found in poly-and mesohaline SAV and salt marsh habitats. In Year 1, no significant correlations were observed between either marsh stem density or SAV vegetation biomass and YOY crab abundance, although at one location in the second year there was a significant positive correlation between the number of juveniles and mid-bay stem density. No significant differences in crab size (carapace width, CW) were found among locations in either year. In comparison with other, better-studied mid-Atlantic coast estuaries in the US (e.g., the Chesapeake and Delaware bays), very large numbers of megalopae (frequently 1 to 2 orders of magnitude greater) invade the Mobile Bay system, as well as other Gulf Coast estuaries. However, YOY abundance in marsh and SAV 'nursery habitats' was of the same order of magnitude as that reported for mid-Atlantic estuaries. We conclude that although postlarval supply was very large, post-settlement loss to predators was the dominant factor influencing blue crab population dynamics in our north central Gulf of Mexico study area.

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“…Hence, recruitment patterns are determined by a combination of pre-and post-settlement factors. Previous studies have found that mobile crustaceans may have limited (Pearce & Phillips, 1988;Caputi et al, 1995;Palma et al, 1998) and regulated (Steger, 1987;Incze & Wahle, 1991;Eggleston & Armstrong, 1995;Moksnes et al, 1997;Palma et al, 1998;Moksnes, 1999) recruitment.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Patterns and Processes of Chasmagnathus granulata and Cyrtograpsus angulatus (Brachyura: Grapsidae) Recruitment in Mar Chiquita Coastal Lagoon, Argentina

Luppi

Spivak

Anger

et al. 2002

Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science

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Recruitment patterns of crabs and other benthic invertebrates with planktonic larvae are determined by a combination of pre-and post-settlement factors. Recruitment is considered settlement limited when there is a positive correlation between the postlarvae available in the water column and the number of recruits, and regulated when abundance of individuals is mainly affected by post-settlement factors, such as competence and inter or intraspecific predation. Temperate southwestern Atlantic saltmarshes are inhabited by Cyrtograpsus angulatus and Chasmagnathus granulata, two intertidal grapsid crabs. These crabs are considered key species in the ecosystem in Mar Chiquita coastal lagoon, Buenos Aires, Argentina. In this work, we compare the recruitment pattern of Cyrtograpsus angulatus and Chasmagnathus granulata on the basis of a 3-year sampling programme. Furthermore, we examine experimentally, in laboratory and field, settlement and postsettlement processes that can help explain these patterns: habitat selection, intra-and inter-cohort cannibalism and predator avoidance behaviour. Finally, we integrate our results with the previous knowledge about distribution, growth and reproductive biology of both species, to propose a model of recruitment of each species. Both species had a consistent recruitment pattern through 3 years. Recruitment of both species started at the beginning of summer, and continued to autumn, but recruits were present until the beginning of spring. Densities of recruits and juveniles of C. angulatus were not correlated, whereas, there was a relationship between abundance of recruits and juveniles of C. granulata. In the field, recruits of C. angulatus suffered high mortality caused by intra-and inter-cohort cannibalism. Megalopae of C. angulatus selected a substrate (crevices in Ficopomatus enigmaticus reef) that gave them refuge against cannibals. First crabs of C. granulata selected adult conspecific substrate (mud from adult habitats). Recruits of C. angulatus avoided adults of either species. A qualitative model of recruitment of both species is proposed. Post-settlement processes strongly affects the recruitment pattern and, consequently, both species have regulated recruitment. The degree of such regulation, however, is more intense in C. angulatus than in C. granulata.

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Different early post-settlement strategies between American lobsters Homarus americanus and rock crabs Cancer irroratus in the Gulf of Maine

Cited by 52 publications

References 46 publications

Ecological role of large benthic decapods in marine ecosystems: a review

Ecological role of large benthic decapods in marine ecosystems: a review

Pre- and post-settlement factors as determinants of juvenile blue crab Callinectes sapidus abundance: results from the north-central Gulf of Mexico

Patterns and Processes of Chasmagnathus granulata and Cyrtograpsus angulatus (Brachyura: Grapsidae) Recruitment in Mar Chiquita Coastal Lagoon, Argentina

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