Functional and ecological aspects of the mucus trails of the intertidal prosobranch gastropod Littorina littorea

Edwards, Mark; Davies, Erin L

doi:10.3354/meps239129

Cited by 39 publications

(28 citation statements)

References 32 publications

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“…littorea as the number of conspecifics increases. The study by Edwards & Davies (2002) suggests that mucus trails of L . littorea contain some unknown cue(s).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Predation risk indirectly enhances survival of seaweed recruits but not intraspecific competition in an intermediate herbivore species

et al. 2011

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Summary1. Non-consumptive predator effects are an important driver in predator-prey interactions. While indirect effects of predation risk shape interspecific species interactions, e.g. in fuelling trophic cascades, knowledge about non-consumptive predator effects on intraspecific interactions among intimidated prey is scarce. 2.In laboratory experiments, we tested whether predation by male and female green crabs (Carcinus maenas) is stronger on small than on larger specimens of the periwinkle Littorina littorea, an important herbivore species in intertidal habitats of the temperate zone. Moreover, we asked whether sizespecific differences in predation-induced mortality reflect as a stronger effect of predation risk (caused by nearby consuming crabs) on the foraging behaviour of more threatened periwinkles and ultimately on the recruitment success of the brown seaweed Fucus serratus. Furthermore, predator activity and prey abundance was measured in the field and the efficacy of predation risk on the survival of seaweed recruits was assessed in three field experiments with two different set-ups (open plots and crab exclosures). 3. Male crabs consumed smaller periwinkles more often than larger conspecifics, while females refused periwinkles as food. In summer, 80-90% of periwinkles in the field attained a size at which crab predation was minimal in laboratory assays. The observed up to 15-fold decrease in the consumption of seaweed recruits by periwinkles in the presence of nearby consuming crabs in laboratory assays was, however, independent of the size of periwinkles. Predation risk effects from the laboratory were only confirmed in field experiments using crab exclosures but not with open plots, suggesting an artefact due to trespassing by wild crabs in the open plot set-up. 4. Synthesis. Predation risk may not change intraspecific competition for food in L. littorea. Yet, risk effects on foraging behaviour of periwinkles that experience a low threat of real predation indicate that non-consumptive predator effects may affect prey population dynamics more strongly than consumptive predator effects. Thus predation risk effects may be indirectly beneficial for the survival of basal species like perennial seaweeds, as experimental evidence from field and laboratory experiments indicates.

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“…littorea as the number of conspecifics increases. The study by Edwards & Davies (2002) suggests that mucus trails of L . littorea contain some unknown cue(s).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Predation risk indirectly enhances survival of seaweed recruits but not intraspecific competition in an intermediate herbivore species

et al. 2011

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“…To complete our investigations of iodine uptake pathways in winkles, this study determines the biokinetic parameters associated with the consumption of phytoplankton, in particular diatoms, given that winkles are known to eat microalgae (such as benthic diatoms and dinoflagellates) as well as macroalgae (Edwards and Davies, 2002). The marine diatom Skeletonema costatum was chosen for this study as it is a common species found in many marine systems, including the Irish Sea (McKinney et al, 1997).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Uptake and depuration of 131I from labelled diatoms (Skeletonema costatum) to the edible periwinkle (Littorina littorea)

Wilson¹,

Batlle²,

Watts³

et al. 2007

Journal of Environmental Radioactivity

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“…In Fungia scutaria, the composition of the mucus was found to be low in caloric value, and to contain small amounts of lipids, nitrogen, phosphorus, sulphur and amino acids (Krupp, 1981(Krupp, , 1985. Several physiological functions essential to coral growth have been suggested, including a protective mechanism against sedimentation by cleansing processes (Duerden, 1906;Johannes, 1967;Schuhmacher, 1977;Coffroth, 1985;Meikle et al, 1988); a feeding mechanism (Duerden, 1906;Lewis & Price, 1976;Edwards & Davies, 2002;Kushmaro & Kramarsky-Winter, 2004); protection against desiccation (Meikle et al, 1988); a protective layer against changes in temperature and salinity in the water surrounding the coral (Marcus & Thorhaug, 1982;Coffroth, 1985;Kato, 1987); and a shield from UV radiation (Drollet et al, 1993;Lyons et al, 1998). Several physiological functions essential to coral growth have been suggested, including a protective mechanism against sedimentation by cleansing processes (Duerden, 1906;Johannes, 1967;Schuhmacher, 1977;Coffroth, 1985;Meikle et al, 1988); a feeding mechanism (Duerden, 1906;Lewis & Price, 1976;Edwards & Davies, 2002;Kushmaro & Kramarsky-Winter, 2004); protection against desiccation (Meikle et al, 1988); a protective layer against changes in temperature and salinity in the water surrounding the coral (Marcus & Thorhaug, 1982;Coffroth, 1985;Kato, 1987); and a shield from UV radiation (Drollet et al, 1993;Lyons et al, 1998).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Diversity of culturable bacteria in the mucus of the Red Sea coral Fungia scutaria

Lampert

Kelman

Dubinsky

et al. 2006

FEMS Microbiology Ecology

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Coral reefs are the most biodiverse of all marine ecosystems. Bacteria are known to be abundant and active in seawater around corals, inside coral tissues, and within their surface microlayer. Very little is known, however, about the structure, composition and maintenance of these bacterial communities. In the current study we characterize the culturable bacterial community within the mucus of healthy specimens of the Red Sea solitary coral Fungia scutaria. This was achieved using culture-based methods and molecular techniques for the identification of the bacterial isolates. More than 30% of the isolated bacteria were novel species and a new genus. The culturable heterotrophic bacterial community of the mucus of this coral is composed mainly of the bacterial groups Gammaproteobacteria, Alphaproteobacteria and of Actinobacteria. This study provides the first evidence of actinomycetes isolated from corals.

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Functional and ecological aspects of the mucus trails of the intertidal prosobranch gastropod Littorina littorea

Cited by 39 publications

References 32 publications

Predation risk indirectly enhances survival of seaweed recruits but not intraspecific competition in an intermediate herbivore species

Predation risk indirectly enhances survival of seaweed recruits but not intraspecific competition in an intermediate herbivore species

Uptake and depuration of 131I from labelled diatoms (Skeletonema costatum) to the edible periwinkle (Littorina littorea)

Diversity of culturable bacteria in the mucus of the Red Sea coral Fungia scutaria

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