Abstract
This study aimed to estimate the amount of food ingested by the ocypodid crab Macrophthalmus japonicus using the number of feeding pellets produced. The amount of food ingested by the ocypodid crab has not been confirmed because of its characteristic of producing pseudofeces, such as feeding pellets. We measured the gut content turnover rate, rate of feeding pellets, actual number of feeding pellets produced, and crab behavior using a video recorder during emersion at the Katsuura River muddy tidal flat, Japan. The pellet production rate increased with increasing soil temperatures. M. japonicus did not constantly feed during emersion, and the feeding percentage did not increase, even during longer emergence times. The number of feeding pellets had a significant positive correlation with emergence time and soil temperature. Neither the production rate nor the number of feeding pellets produced was influenced by crab size. The amount of food ingested by M. japonicus was estimated based on soil temperature, carapace width, and emersion time. The amount of food ingested by M.japonicus could be estimated using three simple on-field parameters. This study contributes to a better understanding of the material cycle in tidal flat ecosystems and provides important parameters for estimating the amount of food ingested by ocypodid crabs in tidal flats.
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