Macroalgal fouling on the intertidal mole crab Emerita analoga facilitates bird predation

In this work, we studied the effects of predation by birds on the intertidal mole crab Emerita analoga fouled by macroalgae in a sandy beach of central Peru (11° S). The epibiosis affected mostly the larger animals, especially adult females. Epibiosis prevalence for the entire intertidal population...

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Autor principal: Lomovasky, Betina Judith
Publicado: 2010
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Acceso en línea:https://bibliotecadigital.exactas.uba.ar/collection/paper/document/paper_1438387X_v64_n4_p367_Hidalgo
http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12110/paper_1438387X_v64_n4_p367_Hidalgo
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spelling paper:paper_1438387X_v64_n4_p367_Hidalgo2023-06-08T16:15:51Z Macroalgal fouling on the intertidal mole crab Emerita analoga facilitates bird predation Lomovasky, Betina Judith Emerita analoga Epibiosis Indirect interactions Peru Predation Sandy beach abundance biofouling bird crab epibiosis intertidal environment macroalga mortality population distribution predation Peru Albuneidae algae Animalia Aves Decapoda (Crustacea) Emerita analoga Insectivora In this work, we studied the effects of predation by birds on the intertidal mole crab Emerita analoga fouled by macroalgae in a sandy beach of central Peru (11° S). The epibiosis affected mostly the larger animals, especially adult females. Epibiosis prevalence for the entire intertidal population was relatively low (1-2%), however, within the size range affected by epibiosis in the intertidal zone (18-23 mm in carapace length), 20-38% of the animals were fouled. Focal observations of birds showed that fouled animals are preferred over those non-fouled of the same size class and hence the same sex, being consumed at a higher rate than their proportion in the intertidal (Chesson's alpha index of prey selection >0.96), and estimations of mortality rates indicated that more than 35% of the intertidal fouled animals are removed everyday by birds. The effect of epibiosis may be mainly attributed to a higher burrowing time or an increased visual attractive effect of the algae, which make fouled animals more conspicuous to predatory birds, or because of fouling enhances profitability of the animals. The results show that epibiosis has negative effects on E. analoga through increasing predation by birds, which in turn restricts the distribution and abundance of fouled E. analoga in the intertidal zone. © 2010 Springer-Verlag and AWI. Fil:Lomovasky, B.J. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales; Argentina. 2010 https://bibliotecadigital.exactas.uba.ar/collection/paper/document/paper_1438387X_v64_n4_p367_Hidalgo http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12110/paper_1438387X_v64_n4_p367_Hidalgo
institution Universidad de Buenos Aires
institution_str I-28
repository_str R-134
collection Biblioteca Digital - Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales (UBA)
topic Emerita analoga
Epibiosis
Indirect interactions
Peru
Predation
Sandy beach
abundance
biofouling
bird
crab
epibiosis
intertidal environment
macroalga
mortality
population distribution
predation
Peru
Albuneidae
algae
Animalia
Aves
Decapoda (Crustacea)
Emerita analoga
Insectivora
spellingShingle Emerita analoga
Epibiosis
Indirect interactions
Peru
Predation
Sandy beach
abundance
biofouling
bird
crab
epibiosis
intertidal environment
macroalga
mortality
population distribution
predation
Peru
Albuneidae
algae
Animalia
Aves
Decapoda (Crustacea)
Emerita analoga
Insectivora
Lomovasky, Betina Judith
Macroalgal fouling on the intertidal mole crab Emerita analoga facilitates bird predation
topic_facet Emerita analoga
Epibiosis
Indirect interactions
Peru
Predation
Sandy beach
abundance
biofouling
bird
crab
epibiosis
intertidal environment
macroalga
mortality
population distribution
predation
Peru
Albuneidae
algae
Animalia
Aves
Decapoda (Crustacea)
Emerita analoga
Insectivora
description In this work, we studied the effects of predation by birds on the intertidal mole crab Emerita analoga fouled by macroalgae in a sandy beach of central Peru (11° S). The epibiosis affected mostly the larger animals, especially adult females. Epibiosis prevalence for the entire intertidal population was relatively low (1-2%), however, within the size range affected by epibiosis in the intertidal zone (18-23 mm in carapace length), 20-38% of the animals were fouled. Focal observations of birds showed that fouled animals are preferred over those non-fouled of the same size class and hence the same sex, being consumed at a higher rate than their proportion in the intertidal (Chesson's alpha index of prey selection >0.96), and estimations of mortality rates indicated that more than 35% of the intertidal fouled animals are removed everyday by birds. The effect of epibiosis may be mainly attributed to a higher burrowing time or an increased visual attractive effect of the algae, which make fouled animals more conspicuous to predatory birds, or because of fouling enhances profitability of the animals. The results show that epibiosis has negative effects on E. analoga through increasing predation by birds, which in turn restricts the distribution and abundance of fouled E. analoga in the intertidal zone. © 2010 Springer-Verlag and AWI.
author Lomovasky, Betina Judith
author_facet Lomovasky, Betina Judith
author_sort Lomovasky, Betina Judith
title Macroalgal fouling on the intertidal mole crab Emerita analoga facilitates bird predation
title_short Macroalgal fouling on the intertidal mole crab Emerita analoga facilitates bird predation
title_full Macroalgal fouling on the intertidal mole crab Emerita analoga facilitates bird predation
title_fullStr Macroalgal fouling on the intertidal mole crab Emerita analoga facilitates bird predation
title_full_unstemmed Macroalgal fouling on the intertidal mole crab Emerita analoga facilitates bird predation
title_sort macroalgal fouling on the intertidal mole crab emerita analoga facilitates bird predation
publishDate 2010
url https://bibliotecadigital.exactas.uba.ar/collection/paper/document/paper_1438387X_v64_n4_p367_Hidalgo
http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12110/paper_1438387X_v64_n4_p367_Hidalgo
work_keys_str_mv AT lomovaskybetinajudith macroalgalfoulingontheintertidalmolecrabemeritaanalogafacilitatesbirdpredation
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