Abstract
Abstract Predatory behavior of the crab Eriphia verrucosa (Forskal, 1775) on the oyster Magallana angulata (Lamarck, 1819), the mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis Lamarck, 1819, the limpet Patella depressa Pennant, 1777, the hermit crab Clibanarius erythropus (Latreille, 1818), the gastropod Phorcus lineatus (da Costa, 1778) and the sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus (Lamarck, 1816) was experimentally studied. Taken into account that the sampled population of E. verrucosa was infected with the parasitic barnacle Sacculina eriphiae Smith, 1906, four predator categories were established regarding crab sex and parasite presence: uninfected and infected males and females, respectively. These four crab categories were fed on the six preys offered, but prey remains suggest that the crab obtains the flesh of each prey using different methods of attack. Irrespective of the prey species, uninfected females consistently presented lower percentages of crab feeding and total consumption. On average, it was found that a significantly higher percentage of crabs feed on M. galloprovincialis, P. depressa and Ph. lineatus than on the other three prey species (chi-squared test, p < 0.05). In terms of mean eaten biomass, the preys most eaten were P. lividus and P. depressa and the least eaten was C. erythropus (ANOVA test, p < 0.05). For crabs feeding on M. galloprovincialis and Ph. lineatus there was a significant positive correlation (p < 0.05) between the predator size and prey size, as well as between the predator size and total prey consumption. According to these results, potential effects of this top predator on intertidal communities are also discussed.
Highlights
Predation has long been recognized as an important biological force driving community patterns in intertidal rocky shores throughout the world (Paine, 1974; Brazão et al, 2009)
The shell of the limpet P. depressa usually appeared intact or with a small break in the shell edge, it was sometimes broken in several pieces
Gastropod shells appeared mostly broken in several pieces, either those occupied by the live gastropod Ph. lineatus or by the hermit crab Cl. erythropus
Summary
Predation has long been recognized as an important biological force driving community patterns in intertidal rocky shores throughout the world (Paine, 1974; Brazão et al, 2009). Crabs are highly mobile and are known to have an important role in structuring assemblages on rocky shores worldwide (Behrens Yamada and Boulding, 1996; Rilov and Schiel, 2006; Silva et al, 2008; Forsstrom et al, 2015) They are predators of intertidal hard-shelled prey such as limpets, mussels, gastropods and sea urchins (Turra et al, 2005; Silva et al, 2010; Laitano et al 2013). When they feed on these hard-shelled preys, many crabs are capable of extracting the meat by peeling the shell aperture and avoid spending more time and energy in shell crushing (Rossi and Parisi, 1973). It is important to know the individual prey preference of crab predators in order to better understand their ecological effects on their prey populations and, as a result, on the assemblage composition of intertidal inhabitants
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