Novel in situ predator exclusion method reveals the relative effects of macro and mesopredators on sessile invertebrates in the field

Bolton, Damon K.; Clark, Graeme F.; Johnston, Emma L.

doi:10.1016/j.jembe.2019.02.002

Cited by 5 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 54 publications

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“…Nevertheless, in Bajo Rojo and Isla Loros, neither BRUVS nor UVC detected these species, possibly due to overfishing and habitat degradation. Moreover, in these locations, species like H. maculicauda and C. caballus showed a three‐fold increase in abundance relative to Islas Murciélago, which may be an indicator that the absence of larger predators has resulted in competitive exclusion (Ashworth and Ormond, 2005) and/or mesopredator release (Boaden and Kingsford, 2015; Bolton et al ., 2019). Nevertheless, more evidence is needed to clarify the effects of fishing in the trophic structure and dynamics of reef fishes in the region.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Drivers of reef fish assemblages in an upwelling region from the Eastern Tropical Pacific Ocean

Eisele

Madrigal‐Mora

Espinoza

2020

Journal of Fish Biology

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Reef fish assemblages are exposed to a wide range of anthropogenic threats as well as chronic natural disturbances. In upwelling regions, for example, there is a seasonal influx of cool nutrient‐rich waters that may shape the structure and composition of reef fish assemblages. Given that climate change may disrupt the natural oceanographic processes by altering the frequency and strength of natural disturbances, understanding how fish assemblages respond to upwelling events is essential to effectively manage reef ecosystems under changing ocean conditions. This study used the baited remote underwater video stations (BRUVS) and the traditional underwater visual census (UVC) to investigate the spatiotemporal patterns of reef fish assemblages in an upwelling region in the North Pacific of Costa Rica. A total of 183 reef fish species from 60 families were recorded, of which 166 species were detected using BRUVS and 122 using UVC. Only 66% of all species were detected using both methods. This study showed that the upwelling had an important role in shaping reef fish assemblages in this region, but there was also a significant interaction between upwelling and location. In addition, other drivers such as habitat complexity and habitat composition had an effect on reef fish abundances and species. To authors’ knowledge, this is the first study in the Eastern Tropical Pacific that combines BRUVS and UVC to monitor reef fish assemblages in an upwelling region, which provides more detailed information to assess the state of reef ecosystems in response to multiple threats and changing ocean conditions.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Drivers of reef fish assemblages in an upwelling region from the Eastern Tropical Pacific Ocean

Eisele

Madrigal‐Mora

Espinoza

2020

Journal of Fish Biology

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“…Based on previous studies, K-S interactions between crab and gastropod predators of bivalves provide additional food energy for the kleptoparasite/scavenger, and can lead to energetic losses to the host/primary forager (Fodrie et al 2012); for example, both these interactions could increase crab predation/feeding rates by 22.8-32.1%, while kleptoparasitism (but not scavenging) could substantially reduce whelk feeding rates by 65.4-67.3% (Quinn & Boudreau 2016). They also tend to co-occur with IGP situations and TMIIs/BMIIs, meaning that one predator (usually the crab) can have a disproportionately large negative impact on the other (the gastropod) (Wong et al 2012, Boudreau et al 2018, Bolton et al 2019. As gastropods feeding in the absence of crabs can exert comparable mortality on their prey to that that occurs with gastropods and crabs together (due to their higher numbers, and despite their smaller sizes and slower feeding) , these interactions are likely important components of the ecological balance within aquatic food webs that prevent the shared prey at the base of the food web from being wiped out by excessive predation (Hamilton 2000, Trussell et al 2017.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Bivalves are important food sources for a wide variety of secondary and higher-level consumers, including decapod crustaceans, gastropod molluscs, polychaete worms, fishes, birds, humans, and many others (Seed 1976, Hamilton 2000, Morissette & Himmelman 2000, Trussell et al 2017, and also play roles in controlling habitat structure (Enderlein & Wahl 2004) and community diversity . Although predation on bivalves by vertebrates can strongly influence their population dynamics (Hamilton 2000, Daleo et al 2005, Cockrell et al 2015, invertebrate consumers also play comparably important roles as bivalve predators (Vadas et al 1994, Trussell et al 2003, Aschaffenberg 2008, Wong et al 2012, Morgan et al 2016, Bolton et al 2019. However, the specific trophic roles and impacts of invertebrate predators on their bivalve prey depend on the interactions that occur among them.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Potential kleptoparasitism-scavenging interactions between crabs and shell-boring gastropods feeding on bivalve prey: a global survey

Quinn

2020

Plankton Benthos Res

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Shell-boring gastropod molluscs and crabs are important predators of many bivalve molluscs, and impact bivalve populations and food webs. When gastropods and crabs target the same bivalve prey, complex interactions between them arise that mediate their impacts. Kleptoparasitism and scavenging (K-S) interactions result when one predator, usually the gastropod, loses or abandons its prey, which is then stolen or scavenged by the other. Such interactions have thus far only been reported among nine crab-gastropod species groups when they fed on shared bivalve prey, but potentially occur among many others. This study used the Global Biotic Interactions (GloBI) database to search for records of shell-boring gastropods and crabs preying on the same bivalve to identify tritrophic bivalve-crab-gastropod systems in which K-S interactions may occur. In total, 871 such systems were found, which included 58 bivalve species that were each eaten by 1-8 species of shell-boring gastropods and 1-19 species of crabs. In the vast majority of these systems (>99%), no previous report of K-S interactions has been published, although in 334 cases the gastropod and crab have been reported to undergo competitive or predator-prey interactions, which may indicate that K-S and other complex interactions occur among them. The tritrophic systems identified in the present survey should be investigated in future studies to determine whether the identified crab and gastropod taxa do in fact undergo K-S interactions. Doing so will enable the development of a theoretical framework for assessing the occurrence, evolution, utilization, and impacts of these interactions in natural systems.

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“…To ensure that all snails used during the experiment were free of flatworms, we flushed the mantle of all study snails with Flatworm Exit (Salifert ® , diluted to 0.2% with seawater) using a needleless syringe. This solution is used in commercial aquariums and in experimental studies for removing polyclad flatworms and is purportedly non-toxic to other marine invertebrates and fishes [ 34 ]. After 30 minutes of the exposure, the snails were transferred to an aerated seawater tank and held for at least one week prior to experimental trials.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Variable host responses mediate host preference in marine flatworm−snail symbioses

2021

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Host preference of symbionts evolves from fitness trade-offs. However, it is often unclear how interspecific variations in host response traits influence this evolutionary process. Using the association between the polyclad flatworm Paraprostatum echinolittorinae and its intertidal snail hosts on the Pacific Coast of Panama, we assessed how a symbiont’s host preference is associated with varying host defenses and post-infestation performances. We first characterized the prevalence and intensity of worm infestation in five snail hosts (Tegula pellisserpentis, Nerita scabricosta, N. funiculata, Planaxis planicostatus, and Cerithium stercusmuscarum). We then used manipulative experiments to test flatworm’s host choice, hosts’ behavioral rejection of flatworms, and hosts’ growth and survival following the infestation. In the field, flatworms were orders of magnitude more prevalent and dense in T. pellisserpentis, N. scabricosta, N. funiculata than P. planicostatus and C. stercusmuscarum, although the three former hosts were not necessarily more abundant. The results from our laboratory host selection trials mirrored these patterns; flatworms were 3 to 14 times more likely to choose T. pellisserpentis, N. scabricosta, N. funiculata over P. planicostatus and C. stercusmuscarum. The less preferred hosts frequently rejected flatworms via mantle contractions and foot withdrawals, which reduced the infestation rate by 39%−67%. These behaviors were less frequent or absent in the preferred hosts. Flatworm infestation variably influenced host performances in the field, negligibly affecting the growth and survival of T. pellisserpentis and N. funiculata but reducing the growth of P. planicostatus. Flatworms thus preferred less defended hosts that can also support higher worm densities without being harmed. Stable isotope analysis further revealed that flatworms are unlikely to feed on snail tissues and may live as a commensal in their preferred hosts. Our study demonstrates that host response traits can modulate a symbiont’s host choice and calls for more explicit considerations of host response variability in host preference research.

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Novel in situ predator exclusion method reveals the relative effects of macro and mesopredators on sessile invertebrates in the field

Cited by 5 publications

References 54 publications

Drivers of reef fish assemblages in an upwelling region from the Eastern Tropical Pacific Ocean

Drivers of reef fish assemblages in an upwelling region from the Eastern Tropical Pacific Ocean

Potential kleptoparasitism-scavenging interactions between crabs and shell-boring gastropods feeding on bivalve prey: a global survey

Variable host responses mediate host preference in marine flatworm−snail symbioses

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