The roles of profit and claw strength in determining mussel size selection by crabs

Aronhime, Barry; Brown, Kenneth M.

doi:10.1016/j.jembe.2009.08.012

Cited by 29 publications

(20 citation statements)

References 35 publications

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“…Stone crabs can likely handle larger bivalves without incurring heavy claw damage. Aronhime & Brown (2009) found results similar to ours in that Gulf stone crabs Menippe adina consumed all sizes of mussels Ischadium recurvum offered, but blue crabs selected small mussels. M. adina claws were less prone to damage than blue crab claws, and had the mechanical ability to handle large prey.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 88%

“…stone sills, bulkheads) built to reduce shoreline erosion caused by rising sea level and storms (NRC 2007) will facilitate population growth of stone crabs because stone crabs prefer hard structures for shelter and burrow stabilization (Lindberg & Marshall 1984). While few studies have examined Florida stone crab foraging, studies of the Gulf of Mexico stone crab Menippe adina suggest that the Florida stone crab will readily prey on bivalves (Aronhime & Brown 2009). It is likely that stone crabs and blue crabs will compete for similar prey resources such as hard clams.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Prey size selection and bottom type influence multiple predator effects in a crab–bivalve system

Wong¹,

Peterson²,

Kay³

2010

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

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Consumption by multiple conspecific or interspecific predators on shared prey is not always predicted when data from isolated predators are combined. Predator interactions can result in non-independent predator effects on prey, and may be influenced by prey size selection and bottom type. We examined stone crab Menippe mercenaria and blue crab Callinectes sapidus predation of hard clams Mercenaria mercenaria. Interactions between these predators may become common in mid-Atlantic estuaries as stone crab abundance increases with a poleward range shift driven by climate change. Crabs in isolation, in conspecific pairs and in the interspecific pair were offered clams in 5 size classes simultaneously (10-60 mm shell length [SL]) or 1 size class (10-20 mm SL). Trials were on sand and hard bottom. On sand, all predator pairs had independent effects on prey, regardless of the presence or absence of multiple prey sizes. On hard bottom, when multiple prey sizes were present, blue crab conspecific and the interspecific pairs consumed less than predicted from isolated crabs. Strong selection of small clams by blue crabs led to conspecific interactions that reduced foraging compared to isolated crabs. Because stone crabs consumed all clam sizes, behaviours other than prey size selection caused the non-independent effect on prey by the interspecific pair. When multiple prey sizes were absent on hard bottom, most predator pairs had independent effects on prey. Thus, an expected poleward range shift of stone crabs may not increase interactions with blue crabs when foraging on sand. However, on hard bottom, increased predator interactions could reduce overall predation risk for prey, especially when consuming multiple prey sizes. In a climate-changed midAtlantic estuary, stone crabs will consume a wide range of clam sizes, and the size refuge large clams usually have from blue crab predation will be lost.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 88%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Prey size selection and bottom type influence multiple predator effects in a crab–bivalve system

Wong¹,

Peterson²,

Kay³

2010

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

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“…Mussel attachment strength is due largely to the number of byssal threads produced (Bell & Gosline 1997; Carrington 2002), and greater production of byssal threads undoubtedly makes it harder for crab predators to remove mussels from clumps on oysters. Larger individuals of Ischadium recurvum may instead rely on size as a predator refuge ( sensu Paine 1974), because the force required to crush larger mussels is near that necessary to damage the blue crab's chelae (Aronhime & Brown 2009).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The blue crab ( Callinectes sapidus R athbun 1896) is an important predator on hooked mussels ( Ischadium recurvum R afinesque 1820) that grow epizoically on reefs of the oyster Crassostrea virginica G melin 1791 along the Gulf of Mexico coastline (Aronhime & Brown 2009). Blue crabs are polyhaline, occurring from salinities of essentially 0 PSU to full strength seawater in coastal estuaries in the Gulf of Mexico (Aronhime & Brown 2009). Members of I. recurvum are fairly common bivalve epibionts on Gulf of Mexico oyster reefs, usually in more estuarine conditions, and may reach high densities (Rodney & Paynter 2006).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Predatory blue crabs induce byssal thread production in hooked mussels

Brown

Aronhime

2011

Invertebrate Biology

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Abstract. Blue crabs (Callinectes sapidus) prey on hooked mussels (Ischadium recurvum) growing epizoically on oyster clumps in estuaries along the Louisiana coast. In prey size‐selection experiments, blue crabs preferred small mussels (<30‐mm shell length) to larger mussels, possibly because handling time increased with mussel size. When crabs were given a choice of solitary mussels versus mussels in clumps on oysters in the laboratory, mortality was lower by 86% in clumped mussels. However, no size selection by crabs occurred with mussels in clumps, likely because smaller mussels escaped predation in crevices between larger mussels or oysters. When individuals of two size classes of mussels were exposed to water containing the scent of crabs and of mussels consumed by blue crabs, an increase in byssal thread production was induced in all mussels, but byssal thread production rate was higher for small mussels than for large mussels. We conclude that increased predation risk for small mussels has resulted in higher size‐specific production of byssal threads, and that predator‐induced production of byssal threads, which may increase clumping behavior, may reduce their risk of mortality to predatory blue crabs.

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“…Durophagous crabs are capable of producing some of the highest forces known in invertebrate animals (Vermeij, 1987) (Table 1). Furthermore, several crabs can learn and make choices between different prey species (Elner & Hughes, 1978;Hughes & Elner, 1979;Juanes & Hartwick, 1990;Aronhime & Brown, 2009). Carcinus maenas Linnaeus, 1758, for example, rapidly learns new skills, retains them for several days, and can transfer learned behaviours to new prey (Cunningham & Hughes, 1984;Hughes & O'Brien, 2001).…”

Section: Menippe Mercenaria: Anatomy Of a 'Super Predator'mentioning

confidence: 99%

Macroecology and evolution of a crab ‘super predator’,Menippe mercenaria(Menippidae), and its gastropod prey

Kosloski

Allmon

2015

Biol. J. Linn. Soc.

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It is widely accepted that the fossil record shows both the evolution of more powerful durophagous marine predators through time and, in response, major shifts in life mode and morphology for many prey taxa. Few fossil studies, however, have successfully identified particular predator species with respect to causing evolutionary change in particular prey species. We present evidence that the evolutionary appearance in the western Atlantic of the stone crab, Menippe mercenaria, an extraordinarily powerful durophagous predator, contributed to the appearance of sinistrality, which is very rare, in two genera of marine gastropods (Conus and Sinistrofulgur) during the Pliocene. Based on this conclusion, we suggest that modern fishing pressure on stone crabs may lead to evolutionary changes in their present day prey.

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The roles of profit and claw strength in determining mussel size selection by crabs

Cited by 29 publications

References 35 publications

Prey size selection and bottom type influence multiple predator effects in a crab–bivalve system

Prey size selection and bottom type influence multiple predator effects in a crab–bivalve system

Predatory blue crabs induce byssal thread production in hooked mussels

Macroecology and evolution of a crab ‘super predator’,Menippe mercenaria(Menippidae), and its gastropod prey

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