Response of suspension-feeding clams to natural removal of bioturbating shrimp on a large estuarine intertidal sandflat in western Kyushu, Japan

Mucous-cord secretion for drifting by the clam <i>Meretrix lusoria </i>(Veneridae) under varying light/dark and submergence/exposure conditions

“…There were two sources of Meretrix lusoria clams: 1) from the natural population on the upper part of Shirakawa tidal flat ( 1.5 m above mean low water level at spring tide; Kyushu, Japan; 32°47′N, 130°36′E; Takeuchi et al 2013); or 2) introduced from Shirakawa flat to cages on Oi tidal flat ( 1 m above the mean low water level at spring tide; Tokyo Bay, Japan; 35°35′N, 139°45′E; Nakamura et al 2010) in October 2012 and reared there. The clams in cages on Oi flat were labelled with an identification number (ID) at the start of rearing.…”

“…Monitoring of benthic species at 99 stations on Shirakawa tidal flat during 2004-2008(Takeuchi et al 2013 indicated that juvenile M. lusoria (less than 10 mm in shell length) were abundant at stations close to the main stream of the Shirakawa River. Larger clams (higher than 10 mm in shell length) were distributed widely on the tidal flat, probably facilitated by drifting through the use of mucous cords.…”

Burrowing ability as a key trait in the establishment of infaunal bivalve populations following competitive release on an extensive intertidal sandflat

“…A number of field experiments have revealed that some inferiors achieved recolonization by adults and/or recruitment at plots from which superiors had been removed (Ólafsson, 1989;Peterson, 1977;Pillay et al, 2007;Posey et al, 1991;Van Colen et al, 2013;Volkenborn and Reise, 2006). Biotic factors such as predation and parasitism (Dumbauld et al, 2011;Flach and Tamaki, 2001;Takeuchi et al, 2013;Thrush et al, 1991) and abiotic factors such as extremely low or high water temperature, freshwater discharge and hydrodynamic forcing (Levin, 1984;Möller, 1986;Nakano et al, 2012;Urabe et al, 2013;Yeo and Risk, 1979) remove dominant species populations from the seabed. The removal could occur on such a large scale that an entire tidal flat is covered (Dumbauld et al, 2011;Flach and Tamaki, 2001;Levin, 1984;Takeuchi et al, 2013;Urabe et al, 2013;Yeo and Risk, 1979).…”

“…Biotic factors such as predation and parasitism (Dumbauld et al, 2011;Flach and Tamaki, 2001;Takeuchi et al, 2013;Thrush et al, 1991) and abiotic factors such as extremely low or high water temperature, freshwater discharge and hydrodynamic forcing (Levin, 1984;Möller, 1986;Nakano et al, 2012;Urabe et al, 2013;Yeo and Risk, 1979) remove dominant species populations from the seabed. The removal could occur on such a large scale that an entire tidal flat is covered (Dumbauld et al, 2011;Flach and Tamaki, 2001;Levin, 1984;Takeuchi et al, 2013;Urabe et al, 2013;Yeo and Risk, 1979). The resultant competitive release would trigger the subsequent changes in whole benthic community structure (Flach and Tamaki, 2001;Takeuchi et al, 2013).…”

“…The removal could occur on such a large scale that an entire tidal flat is covered (Dumbauld et al, 2011;Flach and Tamaki, 2001;Levin, 1984;Takeuchi et al, 2013;Urabe et al, 2013;Yeo and Risk, 1979). The resultant competitive release would trigger the subsequent changes in whole benthic community structure (Flach and Tamaki, 2001;Takeuchi et al, 2013). The response to competitive release is different among inferior species (Levin, 1984;Takeuchi et al, 2013;Thrush et al, 1991;Van Colen et al, 2013;Volkenborn and Reise, 2006).…”